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SEA Games: S'pore men's waterpolo team eyes improvement despite convincing win

KUALA LUMPUR – They may have opened their SEA Games campaign with a convincing 13-2 win over Thailand on Wednesday (Aug 16), but Singapore’s men’s waterpolo team was still not entirely pleased with their manner of victory at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.

Singapore shaping to try to score against Thailand during one of their attacks. The Republic won their opening game 13-2. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

Singapore shaping to try to score against Thailand during one of their attacks. The Republic won their opening game 13-2. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

KUALA LUMPUR – They may have opened their SEA Games campaign with a convincing 13-2 win over Thailand on Wednesday (Aug 16), but Singapore’s men’s waterpolo team was still not entirely pleased with their manner of victory at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil.

While the Republic, who are defending SEA Games gold medallists and have won the competition for a record 26 consecutive times, looked solid at the back against the Thais, it was their attack that gave head coach Dejan Milakovic cause for concern.

After all, while Singapore started the match in blistering fashion, racing to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter, they were only able to add a solitary goal in the second quarter as they went into the half-time break 5-0 up.

However, Singapore turned up the intensity of their play after the break, and they went on to score eight goals – albeit while also conceding twice – in the third and final quarters to put the result beyond any doubt.

Milakovic, who took up his current appointment only in March this year, admitted after the game that his team’s attacking play could have been better.

“The first quarter was good for us, but in the second quarter, we only managed to score once because we made some mistakes in attack,” the Serbian said.

“We played without enough concentration, misplaced some passes, and made several wrong decisions with our shots. 

“We should be finishing a higher percentage of our shots…and in our six-on-six play in regular attacks, we need to find better solutions.”

While Singapore’s attack may still need some fine-tuning, captain Loh Zhi Zhi believes his team’s strong defensive display against Thailand provides a solid foundation for them to work on in the coming games.

“I think our defence was pretty outstanding today, and we're proud of that,” said Loh. “Being defensively strong is something that the coach has emphasised greatly on as well, so I think letting in only two goals today was pretty impressive, and we want to build on that for the coming games.”

Milakovic claims his charges’ performances will improve as the tournament progresses, starting with their next match against the Philippines on Thursday.

“We made some mistakes today, but it's normal because it's always tough emotionally to play the first game of the tournament,” the 34-year-old explained. “We know what we need to do in the coming games so I'm not worried.

“I’m taking it game by game, but the players are ready. So I expect us to be faster and better when we play our next opponent.”

Agreeing, national goalkeeper Lee Kai Yang says it was important for the team to open their campaign with a victory so as to ease the pressure of carrying the tag of tournament ‘favourites’.

“It’s important to have gotten a win in the first game because it calms the nerves,” said Lee. “Secondly, it gets everyone into the right mood and spirit, it gives us the confidence for the coming games.

“Although it’s not perfect game today, everyone played their part and ultimately, I think it’s a great start for the team.

"But we cannot be complacent. Everyone is here to compete, and all the teams are closely matched, so we have to play our best in every game.”

 

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