The three of them believe that their status as defending champions is crucial for maintaining consistent performance, especially when facing strong rivals like PJ, who will be their opponents in the 2025 IBL final.
"Looking ahead to the 2026 IBL and the opening match, we're focused on our own team. We won last year, but this is a new season. So, our focus is on defending our title. We'll give our all to protect it, and our performance must improve every day until we reach the playoffs ," Arki said after the 2026 IBL Opening Preparations in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to him, Dewa United's main focus is to improve themselves as a team, regardless of their title win in the previous season.
Because, he continued, the challenges of the new season require daily performance improvements in order to reach the playoffs later .
The senior small forward also considered the return meeting with Pelita Jaya at the start of the competition to be an interesting test that could gauge the team's readiness for the regular season. This match will provide a crucial insight into the long journey ahead.
Echoing Arki, Rio Disi emphasized that mental readiness is a key factor for Anak Dewa as the defending champion team.
He said that a champion's mentality must be present in every match, along with improvements in the defensive aspect so that the team does not concede again.
Meanwhile, another Dewa United Banten player, Patrick Nikolas, emphasized that Dewa United's big target this season is to win back-to-back championship titles.
Through the historical background that has been created, he believes that focus and consistency in maintaining mental stability are mandatory, especially when facing top teams.
"Our biggest goal is, of course , back-to-back championships . So, given the history we've made, our focus must be even greater," said the power forward .
