SELANGOR: Calm under pressure, Sarawak’s men’s water polo team held their nerve to defeat hosts Selangor 9-6 and seal the gold medal at SUKMA XXII here today (Aug 17).
The victory at the Darul Ehsan Aquatic Centre capped an impressive campaign for Sarawak, who had been building towards the Games with an intensive training programme since January.
Head coach Voon Yong Hui said the players had trained consistently throughout the eight-month preparation period, putting in nine sessions a week to ensure they were ready for the competition.
“Our players are quite committed. Since January this year, they have been training nine sessions a week, and they have been doing that for eight months,” he said.
Voon said the team was well prepared physically and tactically, with confidence being the main area they needed to work on.
“The only thing is they must build up their confidence. You see, they were under pressure and a bit nervous, but luckily at the end they managed to overcome it,” he said.
Despite the nerves, Voon said he remained confident in his players, having faced Selangor several times in previous competitions.
“We have played against them quite a number of times already, and we beat them. Last February, we also beat them by quite a number of goals,” he said.
He added that the two sides were familiar with each other’s strengths, strategies and playing styles, having met repeatedly in competitions, including the 61st MILO-NSC-MAS Malaysia Age Group (MAG) Water Polo Championship in February.
“They know us and we know them — the strategy, the skills, everything,” he said.
Voon said he reminded his players to remain patient and composed during the match.
“I told them, the time is still long. Even after two quarters, they still have two more quarters. I told them, just play your game, stay calm and play your game,” he said.
He also urged them to be patient in attack and avoid unnecessary mistakes, particularly when passing the ball.
“Just attack slowly, look around and don’t make any mistakes on passing,” he said.
