Asian Aquatic C'ships: China clinches double gold; Indian women's water polo team seals Asiad berth

Ahmedabad, Oct 11 (IANS) The 11th Asian Aquatic Championship concluded spectacularly at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, as China dominated the final day of water polo, winning gold in both the men’s and women’s categories.

The Chinese women’s team powered past Japan 22-17 in the final, while the men’s side edged Iran 16-15 (5-4) in sudden death after a tense draw in regulation time. Meanwhile, the Indian women’s team finished eighth overall and confirmed their qualification to the 2026 Asian Games despite an 11-18 defeat to Hong Kong in their classification match.

The final day also saw enthusiastic crowds and special appearances by Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar and youth icon Lakshya Lalwani, who attended to cheer on the athletes and celebrate the spirit of Asian aquatic sport.

In the women’s final, China outclassed Japan 22-17 to claim the top spot. Zhang Qishuo led the charge with a stunning 7 goals, while Wang Xuan (4) and Li Linyun (3) added to the tally. Captain Sun Yating and Yan Jing netted 2 each, and Li Peiyang, Shi Jingjiarong, Guo Chenghong, and Zhu Yajing chipped in with a goal apiece. For Japan, Kobayashi Maho top-scored with 6, followed by Captain Fukuda Shoka (4), Lowrey Nina, Sobajima Sakura, and Sanda Yumeka (2 each), while Bando Riko added 1.

In the men’s final, China clinched the gold medal after a nail-biting 16-15 victory over Iran, which was decided in a penalty shootout (5-4) following a tightly contested match. China’s goals came from Captain Chen Yimin and Chu Chenghao, who scored two goals each, while Yu Lijun, Zhang Jinpeng, Wang Beiyi, Lu Yi, Yang Shanglin, Cai Yuhao, and Zhu Gengmin added 1 goal each. For Iran, Shams Arman put up an impressive 5-goal performance, while Aghaei Karim Omid and Ghavidelhajiagha Amin added 2 goals each, and Mehrikohneshahri Alireza and Adam Mersad contributed a goal each.

The women’s bronze medal match went down to the wire, as Kazakhstan beat Thailand 9-8 in a tense penalty shootout (3-2). Kaplun Viktoriya and Vorontsova Olga struck twice each, with Anossova Valeriya and Rudneva Milena adding one apiece. Thailand’s scorers included Kwantongtanaree Thanidakarn, Pukkaman Panita, Captain Thinwilal Janista, Kongchouy Thanita, Rueangsappaisan Raksina, and Kwantongtanaree Pittayaporn - all with one goal each.

Kazakhstan also prevailed in the men’s bronze medal match, defeating Japan 16-14. Captain Ruday Mikhail led from the front with a spectacular 8 goals, while Shmider Alexey and Bobrovskiy Mstislav scored two each. Tsoy Eduard, Shakenov Murat, Akhmetov Ruslan, and Akimbay Aldiyar contributed one apiece. For Japan, Captain Ura Enishi netted four, with Lowrey Jun and Moriya Yuki scoring 3 each, and Maeda Toshiyuki, Maeda Atsuya, and Matsuno Ryosuke adding 1 apiece.

In the women’s classification, Singapore edged Uzbekistan 18-17 to finish 5th. The Indian women ended their campaign in 8th place after their 11-18 loss to Hong Kong.

Among the Men’s Classification Matches, Singapore overcame Thailand 14-12 to finish 5th, while Hong Kong beat Uzbekistan 16-15 to claim 7th place.

--IANS

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