SINGAPORE – Having bagged 29 of 30 SEA Games gold medals in men’s water polo, Singapore have long been kingpins of South-east Asia. Now, a new generation is eager to go beyond that and make its mark on the Asian stage.
On March 15, the Singapore youth team made a name for themselves in emphatic fashion with their first title in the Asian Under-18 Water Polo Championships, following a valiant victory over world No. 8 China in the final.
At the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil, an end-to-end thriller saw Singapore and China tied 14-14 at full time, but the 15th-ranked Republic held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out to win 4-3 for their third victory over the same opponents in the seven-team tournament.
In a social media post after clinching the gold medal, Singapore Aquatics said: “History made. A generation announcing themselves.”
In the process, the men’s team also secured qualification to the U-18 World Aquatics Water Polo Championships, along with the women’s side who ended their campaign with a 20-4 defeat by Uzbekistan in the bronze medal play-off on March 14.
The top four teams at the Asian meet qualify for the global event.
Men’s captain Matthias Goh, who scored Singapore’s third penalty in the shoot-out in the final, said the victory “means a lot” to him, adding that the team got what they deserved, with the “blood, sweat and tears from numerous training sessions” paying off.
The Singapore Sports School student, 17, said that there was plenty of pressure as the team knew it had a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to win the championship.
