Singapore’s ‘new look’ men’s water polo squad ready to defend SEA Games gold

The team will soon host a Japanese university side for a sparring match before heading to China for a week ahead of the Games. 

Aoyagi expressed confidence in his players, noting that the current squad is stronger than those that competed at the previous SEA Games and Asian Games.

“We must beat all teams,” he said. “We don’t have any issues, just that we must be careful (when playing) against Thailand, because Thailand has a host country advantage.”

The men’s water polo competition will run for five days in Bangkok, culminating in the final on Dec 19. 

Until then, the focus remains on fine-tuning strategies and sharpening gameplay. 

For the young squad, the Games present another opportunity to reaffirm the nation’s dominance in water polo.

Both players and coaching staff told CNA they are confident of reclaiming their position at the top of the podium. 

Vice captain Shaunn Lok, also a SEA Games debutant, said training has been intense, with up to 10 sessions a week spanning nearly 30 hours in total. 

“I think we should be able to win comfortably. That’s our goal, to win comfortably for every game, and hopefully the results for every game will be … a clear victory,” he added. 

“We wouldn’t want any close games or tight games that (suggest) that the gap is not that big, or that Thailand or the other (Southeast Asian) countries are still close competitors to us.”