\n<\/p>\n
Their journey so far has been one of grit and perseverance.<\/p>\n
In July, the team made a historic debut at the World Aquatics Championships on home soil, finishing 15th out of 16 teams.<\/p>\n
However, this experience proved useful in terms of improvement. Two months later, they placed fifth at the Asian Aquatics Championships in India.<\/p>\n
Preparations for their SEA Games title defence in Thailand, however, are far from complete.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Head coach Kan Aoyagi said the final stretch before the competition will be crucial.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The team will soon host a Japanese university side for a sparring match before heading to China for a week ahead of the Games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must beat all teams,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don’t have any issues, just that we must be careful (when playing) against Thailand, because Thailand has a host country advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
The men\u2019s water polo competition will run for five days in Bangkok, culminating in the final on Dec 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Until then, the focus remains on fine-tuning strategies and sharpening gameplay.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the young squad, the Games present another opportunity to reaffirm the nation\u2019s dominance in water polo.<\/p>\n
Both players and coaching staff told CNA they are confident of reclaiming their position at the top of the podium.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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 \u2026 a clear victory,\u201d he added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n