SINGAPORE – The Singapore men’s team’s brave, unbeaten run in the Asian U-20 Water Polo Championships came to an end in the semi-finals on March 29, when they lost 15-10 to Iran in the semi-finals.But they will have the chance to finish their campaign on the podium when they take on Kazakhstan in the third-place play-off at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on March 30.In the other semi-final, China defeated Kazakhstan 18-8 to set up a final against Iran.Against Singapore, Iran raced to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter before extending their advantage to 7-3 at half-time.The hosts narrowed the gap to 10-7 in the third quarter, but Iran maintained their composure to win by five, with their skipper Arman Shams named the Most Valuable Player after scoring five goals.Singapore captain Cayden Loh, who scored three goals, said: “It was a tough match against a strong Iranian team, but I’m proud of how we fought back multiple times during the match.“The team showed resilience, heart, and a strong fighting spirit, proving that we can compete at this level. We’ll take the lessons from this match and bring the same hunger and determination into our next game against Kazakhstan.”They will gain confidence from their group-stage results. They stunned Kazakhstan 10-9 to earn their first-ever win over the central Asians, and followed up with a 17-13 victory and a 33-3 thumping of Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka respectively to progress to the semi-finals.Finishing in the top four also gained them entry to the World U-20 Water Polo Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, from June 14-21 – a first for Singapore at the top-level tournament.Their female counterparts are aiming for their first win in the U-20 event, as they take on China in their final match on March 30. Competing in the double round-robin format, they lost to Kazakhstan (14-11 and 21-11), Uzbekistan (17-10 and 19-13), and China (27-2).David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis.More on this TopicJoin ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.Thanks for sharing!

Singapore men to battle for bronze at Asian U

Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.Thanks for sharing!Against Singapore, Iran raced to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter before extending their advantage to 7-3 at half-time.Finishing in the top four also gained them entry to the World U-20 Water Polo Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, from June 14-21 – […]

Join ST’s Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.Thanks for sharing!Against Singapore, Iran raced to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter before extending their advantage to 7-3 at half-time.Finishing in the top four also gained them entry to the World U-20 Water Polo Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, from June 14-21 – a first for Singapore at the top-level tournament.Singapore captain Cayden Loh, who scored three goals, said: “It was a tough match against a strong Iranian team, but I’m proud of how we fought back multiple times during the match.“The team showed resilience, heart, and a strong fighting spirit, proving that we can compete at this level. We’ll take the lessons from this match and bring the same hunger and determination into our next game against Kazakhstan.”Their female counterparts are aiming for their first win in the U-20 event, as they take on China in their final match on March 30. Competing in the double round-robin format, they lost to Kazakhstan (14-11 and 21-11), Uzbekistan (17-10 and 19-13), and China (27-2).They will gain confidence from their group-stage results. They stunned Kazakhstan 10-9 to earn their first-ever win over the central Asians, and followed up with a 17-13 victory and a 33-3 thumping of Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka respectively to progress to the semi-finals.The hosts narrowed the gap to 10-7 in the third quarter, but Iran maintained their composure to win by five, with their skipper Arman Shams named the Most Valuable Player after scoring five goals.But they will have the chance to finish their campaign on the podium when they take on Kazakhstan in the third-place play-off at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on March 30.