Aras Gading Muda wins the U18 and U16 National Championship titles

Aras Gading Muda Jakarta emerged victorious as the Independent Boys' Champion of the 2025 U18 National Club Championship after defeating Merpati Bali 64-44 in the final at the Unesa Basketball Hall on Sunday night, after also winning the U16 championship.

"I saw the players had more confidence. That's what made them play freely. On the other hand, Merpati's game was not free. They looked tense," said Coach Rifki Antolyon in his statement in Jakarta on Sunday.

Rifki assessed that his team's superiority was not only mental, but also quantity and rotation. Of the 11 players brought, all received sufficient playing time from the preliminary round to the final, so there was no excessive pressure on just one or two players.

"That psychologically affected the players' readiness before the match. We were superior in quantity," explained Rifki.

Defensive strategy was also key. Rifki said that tight pressing that killed off the opponent's shots and anticipation of Merpati Bali's defensive zone succeeded in suppressing their strength, especially because Merpati had good shooting capacity.

"Besides that, we played with tight pressing, shutting down their shots, because Merpati Bali has a good shot. Another thing, we anticipated their zone," Rifki continued.