SELANGOR: The final whistle sounded, and the tears followed.
Sara Tham threw her arms around her teammates. Players collapsed into emotional embraces. On the pool deck, Sarawak Amateur Swimming Association (ASAS) president and water polo assistant chef de mission (ACDM) Pemanca Tan Kun Gee could no longer hold back his emotions.
It was more than a gold medal.
It was the end of a 13-year wait.
Sarawak’s women defeated hosts Selangor 12-10 at the Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre on Monday (Aug 17), completing an unbeaten campaign to capture the state’s first-ever women’s water polo gold medal at the Malaysia Games (SUKMA).
For Tan, the tears were years in the making.
“I am very happy. The performance was very good. Even though Selangor were the home team, we beat them in the round robin and we beat them again in the final,” he said.
The triumph carried extra significance as water polo returned to the SUKMA programme this year after a 13-year absence, with Sarawak seizing the opportunity to etch their names into the history books.
Tan said the victory reflected the character his players had shown throughout the tournament.
“Our girls went all the way. They have been in the best condition at these Games,” he said.
Before the final, Tan had made a promise.
He told Sarawak chef de mission Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu that his girls would deliver another gold medal for the contingent.
By the end of the afternoon, that promise had been fulfilled.
“I promised Datuk Gerald that today I would help him get another gold for my girls’ team. I am very happy that we delivered,” he said.
The road to gold, however, was anything but straightforward.
Midway through the contest, Sarawak lost one of their players after she accumulated three major fouls, forcing two junior players into one of the biggest moments of the final.
Rather than buckle under the pressure, the youngsters answered the call.
Tan said Sarawak’s four-goal cushion in the fourth quarter allowed the team to settle before calmly managing the closing stages.
“One of our players got three major fouls and was out, so we had two juniors coming in. But after we took the lead, especially by four goals in the fourth quarter, we were comfortable,” he said.
With Selangor pushing for one final comeback, Sarawak resisted the temptation to rush.
“We just controlled the game because we were leading. We took our time and waited for the final whistle,” he said.
When that whistle finally arrived, years of sacrifice, training and belief gave way to unrestrained celebration.
There were tears, there were hugs and after 13 years of waiting, there was finally gold.
