The West Papua Kasuari Triton basketball team showed high fighting spirit despite having to undertake a week-long sea voyage before appearing in the 2025 Mandiri U18 Boys and Girls National Club Championship at the Unesa Sports Hall, Surabaya.
In their first match, Kasuari Triton lost 34–51 to Wofle Sorong from Southwest Papua. Despite the loss, the clash between the two Papuan teams was intense and full of fighting spirit from both teams.
Kasuari coach Triton A. Rumbrawer said that his team had just arrived in Surabaya after sailing since July 19 and that evening immediately played their first match.
"We were on the boat for a week. We left.We went straight to play that night," said Rumbrawer.
He explained that the players hadn't fully recovered by the time of the match due to fatigue from the long journey. The team brought 15 players, including three 18-year-olds and the rest 17-year-olds. "The kids were visibly tired," he continued.
However, Rumbrawer assessed that his team was able to demonstrate good playing quality, especially in implementing defensive and attacking strategies.
