Singapore’s ‘new look’ men’s water polo squad ready to defend SEA Games gold

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s men’s water polo team is heading into next month’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games with a fresh look and renewed confidence to defend its crown.

The refreshed lineup will travel to Thailand determined to retain its gold medal, following its triumphant return to the top of the podium in Cambodia in 2023.

The team’s most recent victory came four years after its 54-year winning streak was broken in 2019. Before that, Singapore had been SEA Games champions for 27 consecutive editions. 

Captain Sanjiv Rajandra, who will be making his SEA Games debut, leads a 15-member squad that includes 10 other newcomers – marking the beginning of a new chapter for the regional powerhouse. 

Though relatively inexperienced, the 23-year-old is determined to uphold the country’s proud legacy.

“It's a lot of pride, and with that pride comes a lot of responsibility that I have to take on,” said Sanjiv, adding that the squad has been putting in the work and ironing out issues it previously faced. 

“I think the team is ready. We have been preparing for it. All of us are excited.”

With an average age of just 21, the squad consists largely of university students.

Among them is 16-year-old Chow Yong Jun – the youngest in the team – taking his first big leap onto the SEA Games stage. 

Juggling school or work with training sessions that stretch late into the night, the players have been sacrificing sleep in their pursuit of excellence – a challenge they have learned to tackle together.

“Our team is very young … so having to accommodate everybody's schedule with the training load has been a big challenge,” said Sanjiv. 

“But I think all my teammates understand the sacrifice it takes to be a national athlete. They understand that if they want to