Silver lining for Singapore's women tchoukball team
With their preparation lasting barely two months, funding issues casting a cloud over their heads and the arrival of a new coach, all eyes were on the Singapore women's team to survive at the eighth Asia Pacific Tchoukball Championships.
Despite the challenges, the third-ranked team still surprised the naysayers by fighting their way into the final for a shot at their old nemesis, the undefeated world champions Taiwan.
However, their opponents still proved a leap too far, with Singapore losing 56-38 at Our Tampines Hub yesterday.
Still, team captain Irene Tan believes that progress is evident and hailed her team-mates for performing admirably despite the defeat.
She said: "We have all stepped up to the same level to play well together. We improved our composure and technique to play efficiently throughout the three periods.
"We made them work hard for this win. They were taken aback at the start because of our defence, where we were able to save a decent amount of their shots."
National tchoukball coach Jeff Ang was also proud of the team's achievement despite the short preparation time and new environment.
"We still have a long journey to go. This is a good milestone for us in our training and improvement plan for the future," he said.
"Being able to make it to the finals and defending well against the world champions shows that we are on the right track."
Ang is looking ahead to next year's World Championships, noting: "We have a few young players who have just joined the team and are gaining experience from these regional competitions. We are confident to close up the gap (to Taiwan) and beat them."
In the men's category, Singapore beat Malaysia 58-52 in a thrilling encounter to walk away with bronze, while world champions Taiwan overwhelmed Macau 74-35 to clinch the title.
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