World Aquatics Championships: Singapore women's water polo team suffers heavy defeat to Australia
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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Taiyo Watanabe loses hair but not heart, as he leads Japan's water polo revival
Japan water polo star Taiyo Watanabe (left) scored four goals in the 22-16 loss to World Cup winners Spain at the World Aquatics Championships on July 12. SINGAPORE – Bearing a passing resemblance to Hollywood star Vin Diesel, Japan water polo driver Taiyo Watanabe is just as fast and furious in the pool. While the American actor shaves his head to maintain his trademark look, Watanabe has alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes complete loss of hair on the scalp and body. Although he shared with The Sunday Times that he was never bullied because of his condition, he was still perturbed when it first surfaced when he was eight, which was when he started playing water polo. The cheery 23-year-old said: 'I hated being seen by other people at the time and I was so negative. But as I became better in water polo, I started having more confidence in myself. 'I hope others in a similar situation can find something they enjoy doing. I felt it was important to show what I can do, and for me it is through water polo. 'At age eight, I enjoyed being able to throw a ball in the water, and I still do, and my success in the sport really cheered me up. I have met great teammates and feel great joy when I score. I realised that playing with energy is a lot of fun and I want people to see me doing well.' In and out of the pool, Watanabe is hard to miss. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore Jail, caning for man who had 285 child porn videos, including those that show infants Singapore Jail for woman who opened bank accounts that received over $640.7m, including scam proceeds Singapore Three power companies chosen to study carbon capture and storage to help Singapore decarbonise Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run in Hougang As his team lined up for the national anthem at the OCBC Aquatic Centre ahead of their World Aquatics Championships (WCH) opener against World Cup winners Spain, he stood out among his teammates, who all have full heads of black hair. In the water, he was equally eye-catching, winning two sprints to help his 12th-ranked team start the first and third quarters with ball possession. He finished the match with four goals in their 22-16 loss to world No. 2 Spain. In the other Group B match, world No. 3 Hungary beat 11th-ranked Australia 18-6. In an earlier interview with World Aquatics, Japan coach Yoshinori Shiota said: 'Taiyo is one of the most talented water polo players in the world. 'He has a super-fast swimming speed and a brilliant shooting sense that no one can imitate. I believe he will lead Japan to the top of the world.' After becoming a national team regular at 21, Watanabe has used his qualities to help Japan regain the Asian Games gold in 2023 after a 53-year wait. They also posted an eighth-placed finish at the Men's Water Polo World Cup in January. The five-time Asian Games champions' re-emergence has led to several Japanese players being picked up by professional European teams, with captain Yusuke Inaba playing in Romania and Italy before returning to Montenegro to sign for Primorac Kotor. Watanabe is also making waves in Europe, signing for Spain's Barcelona after helping French side Pays d'Aix finish third and second in the last two seasons. He said: 'In Japan, we have just a three-day national championship and don't have a national league. In the European leagues, we learn how to defend and control the match better, and this is good for the players and the national team.' Aptly, his first name is the Japanese word for sun, and Watanabe noted that it is time for the Land of the Rising Sun to shine as the gap between Japan and the world's elite has narrowed. 'Everyone knows Japanese players are not tall, but we have good speed and defend well,' he said. 'At the Paris 2024 Olympics group stage, we lost 15-16 to champions Serbia and 13-14 to France in matches we could have won. Against Spain here, we tried to be more aggressive. 'Personally, I want to shine brightly as Japan's top player and top scorer. 'As a team, we have never made the top eight at the world championships, so that's our goal here.' Earlier in the day, Olympic champions and world No. 5 Serbia trounced South Africa 27-3 in Group A, while Italy beat Romania 17-5. In Group D, defending champions and world No. 1 Croatia also eased to a 25-6 win over China, before world No. 8 Montenegro upset Greece (fourth) 10-9. Croatia goalkeeper Marko Bijac attempting a save during their Group D match against China on July 12. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG In Group C, the United States comfortably beat Canada 18-9, while hosts Singapore (38th) were defeated 19-8 by Brazil in their championship debut. A mix of nerves and wanting 'very badly to score the first goal' saw the hosts trail 0-8 before they finally got on the scoreboard late in the second quarter. They eventually put on a more organised display in the second half, notching a scoreline of 7-10. Singapore's Sanjiv Rajandra taking a shot during their Group C match against Brazil on July 12. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Rating the team's performance a four out of 10, Singapore coach Kan Aoyagi said: 'We were playing quite aggressively, but we made some wrong decisions in the first half. 'Once we got our confidence back and started to understand how to play against players who are 2m and 100kg, we played well. We needed time to adapt, but once they got used to it, it was too late. I hope we can do better in our next game against Canada (on July 14).' Sanjiv Rajandra, 23, who scored a joint game-high three goals, shared that their coach had prepared them for their opponents during training sessions, but that 'when nerves and fatigue set in, that slipped out of our mind'. He added: 'We made individual mistakes we don't usually make. Over the next few games, it's our duty to stop them from happening again and make sure the improvement will be there.'
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Singapore's Ritchie Oh makes comeback in open water swimming at World Aquatics Championships
Find out what's new on ST website and app. After coming out of retirement, Singapore open water swimmer Ritchie Oh is eyeing podium finishes at the 2027 and 2029 SEA Games. SINGAPORE – When Ritchie Oh retired from competitive swimming in 2023, the idea of racing at a home world championships two years later was certainly not on his radar. After competing at the 2019 SEA Games, Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023 and two world championships, he felt he had reached the end of his journey in the sport. Once driven by his goals of qualifying for major competitions, he began to feel stagnant, constantly measuring himself against others and training became a chore. Oh said: 'I stopped caring about what major meets I could qualify for, which had been my biggest drive before – to keep improving and making the next bigger competition. 'I dreaded going for training and did not have a goal anymore.' Now, the 22-year-old is among eight open water swimmers representing the Republic at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Oh said he had enjoyed the freedom in the first few months after his retirement, occasionally entering local meets to catch up with friends. But by late 2024, something was missing. He said: 'I pushed myself in the gym but after a few months I realised it wasn't enough for me. 'I thought I was missing out on something but I didn't know it was swimming because I thought I had firmly made a decision to stop and I had no passion for it anymore.' After speaking to his parents and girlfriend Claire Tan, a national artistic swimmer, he realised that he missed swimming and began considering a comeback. Though there was uncertainty, the thought of competing alongside Tan at major events again was hard to ignore, and he still enjoyed the adrenaline of racing. Ritchie Oh (left) with his girlfriend Claire Tan, a national artistic swimmer, at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RITCHIE OH About 10 months ago, Oh began training with coaches Roderick Eng and Jerome Teo at the Singapore Sports School. Careful to avoid the long-distance training that has once worn him down, he initially focused on distances of 200m and below, aiming for a spot on the 4x200m freestyle relay team at the 2026 Asian Games. But he soon turned to the 1,500m freestyle after realising his time away had made it difficult to hit the required benchmarks. At the Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships in March, he finished a creditable fourth in the event. Coincidentally, Singapore Aquatics also sent out the selection criteria for open water swimming for the SEA Games and world championships during that period, and he decided to give it a go with. At the trials in April, he finished second in the 10km race to earn his spot at the world championships. He said: 'Every single day I came to the pool, regardless of how I felt, how bad the times were, I just kept pushing myself. 'Every day when you have a goal in mind, your discipline kicks in, your motivation gets sparked and I became hungry again.' With open water swimming set to feature at the next three SEA Games, he has set his sights on reaching the podium at the 2027 and 2029 editions. Juggling national service with training has been a challenge in his comeback journey. While most open water swimmers clock 70km to 80km a week, Oh averages just 25km to 30km. On days he is on shift, he wakes at 4am to train by 5am, before reporting to base at 7.15am, often finishing at about 11pm. He is grateful to his coaches for turning up an hour earlier on those mornings to help him squeeze in 5km to 6km before his duties. Ahead of the world championships, which will also serve as a qualifier for December's SEA Games, he said: 'I want to do my best, I want to show my coaches and myself that all the hard work that I've put in is worth it.' Chantal Liew, Singapore's first open water swimmer to compete at the Olympics, will also be taking part in the world championships. PHOTO: SPORT SINGAPORE Also itching to compete at the championships is Chantal Liew, who contemplated retirement after narrowly missing out on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Competing at home feels like a full circle for her, having made her national team debut in pool swimming a decade ago at the SEA Games in Singapore. While Liew, Singapore's first Olympic open water swimmer, is not sure how much longer she will compete for, she wants to do her best and enjoy the championships, where she will take part in the 10km, 3km knockout, and 4x1,500m relay. She said: 'I had half a mind after the last worlds to retire, but I was convinced by my coach to stay on for this one because he said racing at your home worlds isn't something everyone can do and it's special. 'In a way, I hope to redeem myself from Doha (qualifying event for Olympics). But more than that, I know I'm at the tail end of my career and I did read the other day what Naomi Osaka posted about enjoying whatever time I have left in the sport so that's what I'm going to be doing – I'm going to soak in the atmosphere and enjoy racing in front of family and friends.'
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Chinese swimmers dope-tested the most ahead of World Aquatics Championships
Find out what's new on ST website and app. From Jan 1, Chinese swimmers had an average of 8.8 anti-doping tests. HONG KONG – Chinese swimmers took more anti-doping tests in 2025 than swimmers from any other country ahead of the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the Aquatics Integrity Unit said in a report. From Jan 1, Chinese swimmers had an average of 8.8 anti-doping tests versus those from the United States who were tested 4.1 times and those from Britain who were tested 2.2 times, the report showed. Swimmers competing as neutrals – mainly those with Russian nationality – were tested 8.2 times on average. In total the Aquatics Integrity Unit conducted 4,018 anti-doping tests on athletes participating in the Singapore event. 'The report underscores World Aquatics unwavering commitment to fair competition and the highest standards of integrity in aquatic sport,' it said. The China Swimming Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China's swimming team has faced heightened scrutiny since revelations in April 2024 that 23 swimmers had tested positive for a banned heart medication in 2021 but were permitted to compete in the Tokyo Olympics that year. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Singapore Special edition SG60 Nets card now on sale for $10 Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore Jail, caning for man who had 285 child porn videos, including those showing infants Singapore Jail for woman who opened bank accounts that received over $640.7m, including scam proceeds Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run in Hougang Sport After Olympic heartbreak, Singaporean swimmer Chantal Liew turns pain into inspiration Of the 23, Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun and Yang Junxuan won gold in Tokyo, while Qin Haiyang took home a gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Eleven of the 23 were selected for the Paris Games. The World Anti-Doping Agency accepted the findings of a Chinese investigation that the results were due to contamination from a hotel kitchen. An independent review backed the World Anti-Doping Agency's handling of the case. Testing will remain in force until the end of the event, with 830 samples to be collected during 24 days of competition, the Aquatics Integrity Unit said. China's male freestyle sprinter Wang Haoyu was tested 13 times, while 200 metre breaststroke world record holder Qin Haiyang was tested 12 times, the report showed. REUTERS
