SINGAPORE — The Singapore males’s nationwide water polo workforce did not ebook a ticket for the World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup, Division 2 Qualifier to be held in Berlin in Could, as they ended the 2023 Asian Water Polo Championships in fifth place, a spot behind Southeast Asian rivals Thailand.
China and Kazakhstan took prime honours within the males’s and girls’s class respectively within the Asian Water Polo Championships that had been held from Mar 22 to Mar 27 on the OCBC Aquatic Centre on the Singapore Sports activities Hub. Within the males’ gold medal match, China defeated Iran 11-8, whereas Kazakhstan sealed an 18-7 win over Thailand within the bronze medal match.
For the boys’s nationwide workforce captain Lee Kai Yang, the main target now turns to the SEA Video games in Could as Singapore will probably be trying to recapture their misplaced glory. Singapore’s 52-year reign because the water polo king ended on the 2019 SEA Video games as Indonesia clinched their first-ever gold medal, and the Republic needed to accept the bronze medal.
“I believe it’s very clear for everybody right here within the workforce, we’re going to the SEA Video games gunning for gold. Between Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, now everybody is aware of that it’s an excellent recreation, nobody is the outright favorite proper now so we’re right here as equal opponents. We’re going on the market with full confidence that we will carry out to our greatest high quality and win the gold,” mentioned Lee.
Though the Singapore ladies’s nationwide water polo workforce had been the underside of their group within the Asian Water Polo Championships, they are going to be making the journey to Germany as all 4 taking part international locations within the competitors certified for the World Aquatics Water Polo World Cup, Division 2 Qualifier.
Within the ladies’s class, the 4 groups performed one another twice in a round-robin format. Within the last day of the competitors, water polo powerhouse Kazakhstan dominated proceedings within the swimming pools as they gained 12-6 towards Uzbekistan. Singapore ended the event with a loss as they went down 4-9 to Thailand.
However there have been nonetheless some cheers left for the host on the ultimate day as the boys’s workforce gained their fifth-placing match towards Uzbekistan 12-11, with Koh Jian Ying named as participant of the match. That is Singapore’s second victory over the Central Asia nation as the 2 had met in a Group A encounter, with the hosts profitable 11-10.
Singapore males’s workforce opened their marketing campaign with a 1-23 defeat towards the event’s favourites China. Their second recreation was a nail-biter as Thailand shocked the hosts 4-2 in a penalty-shootout victory after each groups had been tied 14-14 on the last buzzer. Singapore appeared favourites to notch their first win of the competitors as they took a 14-12 lead into the ultimate minute of the match. However the Thais scored two fast targets and blocked Singapore’s goal-bound shot within the final second to power a shootout.
Substitute goalkeeper Chanoknan Kaewmanee was the star within the tie-breaker as he saved two of Singapore’s penalties to ship the Thai bench and their supporters within the stands into ecstasy. It was candy revenge for Thailand as that they had misplaced to Singapore on house soil through the Asian Championships in November. It additionally units up an intriguing battle forward of Could’s SEA Video games.
For Singapore coach Kan Aoyagi he noticed positives in his gamers’ efficiency regardless of the defeat to Thailand within the penalty shoot-out.
“Thailand performed nicely, they’ve an excellent counter-attacking workforce and are very match. We misplaced towards them within the penalties however through the recreation, we didn’t fall behind they usually didn’t rating greater than us. (Even) although we misplaced towards Thailand in penalties, (it was) an excellent expertise for us, for the SEA Video games,” mentioned coach Aoyagi.
Singapore’s outcomes on the 2023 Asian Water Polo Championships
Males Nationwide Staff
(Group A)
Singapore 1-23 China
Singapore 14-14 Thailand (Penalty: 2-4)
Singapore 11-10 Uzbekistan
Quarter-Closing | Singapore 7-10 Kazakhstan
Putting Match | Singapore 18-6 Philippines
Fifth-Sixth Putting Match |Singapore 12-11 Uzbekistan
Ladies’s Nationwide Staff
(Group – Spherical Robin)
Singapore 7-12 Kazakhstan
Singapore 10-11 Uzbekistan
Singapore 6-8 Thailand
Singapore 2-13 Kazakhstan
Singapore 8-7 Uzbekistan
Singapore 4-9 Thailand
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