The Singapore men's water polo team will face Thailand for seventh place in their final match of the Asian Games on 3 Oct. Photo: SpexSG/ Bryan Foo
Team captains are often looked to for guidance, motivation and reassurance. For water polo captain Sanjiv Rajandra, who is at his first Asian Games leading a team comprising mostly debutants, this goes both ways.
It is through sheer confidence in his teammates that the 24-year-old has felt somewhat relieved of the pressure of aiming to at least match their fifth-placed finish from the last Asian Games. Though Singapore succumbed 15-11 in a tough battle with Hong Kong during the classification round on 2 Oct to determine the fifth to eighth placings, Rajandra was proud of the relentless fighting spirit displayed by the newcomers and veterans alike.
“A big part of our team is new, and we wanted to come into these Asian Games to show that the standard of water polo that we play hasn't dropped. We wanted to come away with the win today so that we go into the fifth and sixth placing match … we just couldn’t catch momentum,” said Rajandra, who felt that Hong Kong had capitalised on their momentum well to prevent the Singapore side from finding their rhythm.
“As captain, yes, it can be difficult to manage everybody and at the same time balance that expectation of it being my first Asian Games as well. But I have a lot of confidence in my teammates, so that relieves some of the pressure of needing to live up to the expectation of us being fifth in Asia. That was something I didn’t think about this entire competition, and that stems from the confidence I have in my teammates. They make my life easier.”
The squad at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games includes former national captain Loh Zhi Zhi, who is competing in his fifth Asiad, as well as Koh Jian Ying and Lee Cheng Kang, who each have featured prominently in numerous editions of major Games.
The positive impact of their presence in the team extends beyond their accolades – Loh and Koh each have five SEA Games golds.
Rajandra, who led his team to Singapore’s 29th SEA Games gold in men’s water polo last year, explained: “They understand that the way we play water polo is different from the way we used to play water polo, and they came in with an open mind. It made communicating with them easy, regardless of age or whether I’m captain – the younger ones also feel it’s easy to talk to them, and that’s on them for doing a really good job.
“We haven’t experienced this kind of defeat before … this was a game that we were quite confident about and had a positive outlook coming in. I think Zhi, Jian Ying and CK in their long careers probably have experienced something similar to this, so the team and myself are going to depend on them for tomorrow’s game and bouncing back from a tough loss like this.”
Singapore take on Thailand for seventh place in their final match on 3 Oct. Rajandra hopes his team will draw on the experience of their gutsy victory over South Korea earlier this week, which took place a day after a painful defeat to Iran.
“The loss against Iran was tough but we went into the South Korea game with a certain level of hunger. I know I can say for myself for certain that I’m going to go into the game tomorrow with that same level of hunger, and I hope I can encourage the team to do the same as well,” he added.
“The score is not a good representation of the effort we’ve been putting in for the last three years. The team has been very resilient in the effort that they’ve put in, regardless of age. This is (Loh’s) fifth Asian Games and he’s still powering on strong, and you have the youngest ones Zahar (Schmelev) and (Chow) Young Jun, who are giving their all in the pool as well.
“And for me, as captain, all I can do is just encourage my team to give their best, and I know they are all trying.”
The 20th Asian Games are held in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026. For the latest Team Singapore coverage and news, follow Team Singapore on their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) or visit the official Team Singapore website.