Singapore has been drawn into Group C, along with New Zealand, Hungary and Australia
Singapore, 7 November 2023 – The national women’s water polo team is set to make history as they became the first-ever water polo team to represent Singapore in the World Aquatics Championship 2024. The competition is set to take place in Doha, Qatar, from 2 to 18 February 2024.
This surprise inclusion comes after Japan pulled out from the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. Japan’s place was then given to Singapore on the basis of their fourth-place finish at last month’s Hangzhou Asian Games. It was the Singapore women’s team's best-ever Asiad finish.
Said Koh Ting Ting, the captain who led the team to the historic fourth-place finish: “We’re very excited to be heading to the World Championships. Being able to take on the world’s best is something we all can be proud of. It’s a great feeling to know that all the hard work and dedication we put in during training has paid off.
“We will be competing against very strong teams but we are determined to push even harder in our preparations and make the most out of this great opportunity.”
Singapore has been drawn into Group C, along with New Zealand, Hungary and Australia, who finished in fourth place at this year’s World Championships in Fukuoka. A total of 16 teams will take part in the competition in Doha.
Abielle Yeo, who took over the captaincy from Koh, added that being the first Singapore water polo team to feature on the world’s biggest stage is of great significance.
She said: “Participating at this level will give us invaluable experience as we learn from the best teams in the world.
“We hope that participation at the World Championships can serve as an inspiration to future generations of water polo players in Singapore, encouraging more young athletes to pursue the sport.”
Mr Dominic Soh, vice-president of Singapore Water Polo, said: “We are very proud of this achievement, and it has significantly boosted the girls’ confidence. But we know the World Championships will be an even bigger challenge, so we are taking this momentum from the Hangzhou Asian Games to keep pushing ourselves.
“The girls are training very hard and they are all about that continuous improvement mindset. Our coaches are also analysing the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents at the World Championships to fine-tune our game strategies. We are certainly not there to make up the numbers, we are there to make a difference.”
Comments