Despite winning multiple laurels at the recently concluded 29thSEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore synchronised swimming team captain Debbie Soh said the team is already eyeing next year's Asian Games in Indonesia.
Featuring six SEA Games debutants, and performing in the home ground of their closest rivals Malaysia, the odds did not seem to be in favour of Singapore's synchronised swimmers as they entered the pool at the National Aquatic Centre in Bukit Jalil for the team free routine on August 20.
However, in front of a largely partisan crowd, the national led by Captain Debbie Soh kept their nerve and blew the competition out of the water as they took home the gold medal with a score of 75.1333.
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The victory ensured Singapore's synchronised swimmers achieved their best-ever SEA Games medal haul with three gold, as per Today.
While pleased with her charges for winning gold, Singapore's synchronised swimming head coach MarynaTsimashenkaknows the team can ill-afford to rest on its laurels.
"When we saw that our scores came in first, of course, we were happy," she said. "But we know that next year we have (new members), and we have a big competition like the Asian Games."
"Also, we will need more support for the sport if we are to achieve better things," she said.
Singapore has never sent a synchronised swimming team to the Asian Games, where heavyweights like China and Japan regularly dominate the sport.
Soh said the team is already eyeing next year's Asian Games in Indonesia, as reported by Channel NewsAsia.
"As of right now, we are quite strong in the Southeast Asian region, so we have to aim further and retain our title in the next SEA Games."
Singapore Swimming Association's vice-president for the sports Philip Lee said that their next objective will be to have the girls compete at bigger competitions such as the Asian Games and ultimately, the Olympics.
"Aside from their gold medal haul, based on performances alone, I feel the girls deserve credit because they've done extremely well," said Lee. "They've completed the necessary tasks that the coaches have given to them in all areas.
"That shows that our girls have improved, and the next target for them is definitely to move them to a higher level of competition like the Asian Swimming Championships, the Asian Games and even the Olympics."
