Singapore women's team clinch silver at World Beach Tchoukball Championships in Bali
Singapore's Liaw Li Qing (right) going on the attack against Chinese Taipei in the women's final of the World Beach Tchoukball Championships in Bali.
SINGAPORE – A month after the Singapore men's and women's tchoukball teams retained their respective South-east Asian titles, there was another achievement to celebrate for the fraternity.
The Republic claimed a silver medal in the women's competition of the World Beach Tchoukball Championships in Indonesia on Aug 10, matching their previous best finish from the last edition in 2017.
In the scorching heat at the Seminyak Beach in Bali, where unpredictable tides led to several postponements, the Republic fought their way into the final, losing 39-36 to defending champions Chinese Taipei.
Singapore had lost 51-28 to the same opponents in the 2017 final in Kaohsiung, but narrowed the gap to three points this time around. The 2021 edition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Captain Tan Wan Ying said: 'It hurts to come this close, but we walk away with our heads high. This silver medal is a testament to our growth, and we will keep working until we stand on that top step.'
National coach Liao Jianxiong said he is proud of the players, adding: 'We gave our all today. The players left nothing on the sand, and while we fell short of the gold, I am proud of their resilience and the way they represented Singapore.'
The Republic led 12-11 and 26-25 after the first and second periods respectively, before the Taiwanese clawed their way back in the final stanza.
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Chinese Taipei coach Liu Hsing-fu noted that the final was a close one, saying: 'Singapore pushed us harder than ever before. Their growth over the past year is impressive, and today's match could have gone either way.
'We are proud to defend our title, and we respect the fight and sportsmanship they brought to the court.'
The Republic had won all of their qualifying-round matches, defeating South Korea (72-23), Indonesia (68-12), India (54-20) and Cameroon (58-40), before beating Hong Kong 46-35 in the semi-finals.
Tchoukball Association of Hong Kong president Paul Yeung said: 'We knew Singapore was improving quickly, but their performance against us was exceptional.
'They showed discipline, unity and spirit and they deserved their place in the final. I thought they would give Chinese Taipei a rough time and they did. This team has great potential.'
Former Tchoukball Association of Singapore president Delane Lim said the silver was a creditable achievement as the players had to cope with the elements, as well as the pressure of representing the country.
'Winning every match in the qualifiers, beating Hong Kong in the semis and pushing Chinese Taipei to a 39-36 finish in the final is no small feat,' said the 40-year-old, who was appointed as the International Tchoukball Federation president on Aug 6.
'This silver medal is our gift to Singapore in her 60th birthday year, and a reflection of the resilience, sportsmanship and unity that define our sport.'
In the men's final, Chinese Taipei defeated Benin 55-38 to retain the title.
Later this month, Singapore's youth teams will be doing battle at the World Youth Beach Tchoukball Championships in Pattaya, Thailand from Aug 27-30, while the senior teams will be preparing for the Nations Cup from Dec 18-20 and the Champions Cup on Dec 21 in Geneva, Switzerland.
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