SINGAPORE – Singapore’s fairy-tale run at the World Under-24 Ultimate Championships in Nottingham, England, ended with a silver medal after losing 15-5 to the United States in the mixed team final on Saturday.
They had beaten South Africa, Finland, Australia, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand and Canada, but could not overcome the Americans, who have won the event at every edition (2013, 2015, 2018, 2019) they have competed in. The biennial tournament was cancelled in 2021 due to the pandemic.
This is the first time Singapore have reached the final of any World Ultimate Championships. The mixed team clinched a bronze medal at the 2019 edition in Heidelberg, Germany.
Serena Sim, 22, an undergraduate at Singapore Institute of Management, said: “It’s the first time most of us are playing at the highest level of ultimate frisbee, so we’re very excited to be playing in the finals and going against big powerhouses.
“We just wanted to go in and execute whatever we have prepared. We trust our coaches in whatever game plan they have for us and we’ll just do our best and execute them on the field.”
Her fellow co-captain Brian Lee, 23, added: “Looking back, we didn’t even imagine that we’d be here. We have a very unique playing style compared to the rest because we lack in size and physicality.
“I think our fast-moving offence worked really well against the Europeans and Americans.”
Their path to the final was a painful one. Nicole Lee tore her anterior cruciate ligament during a warm-up game, while Gregory Phua injured his kidney after landing awkwardly during the seven-a-side match.
Several of their teammates also suffered concussions and had to be taken to the hospital.
Despite these setbacks, coach Benjamin Ho highlighted how “everyone on the team really pulled their weight and allowed this whole journey to be this successful”.
Most of the squad are student-athletes and those fulfilling their national service, which meant some training sessions were conducted without full attendance.
Sim said: “We actually started preparing almost a year ago and we’ve had many ups and downs. I think the most memorable thing... is the team getting closer through our bonding...”
Lee added: “We had to adapt to the environment, the food, the wind and all the different types of stress. I’m glad that we eventually did and had fun together while enjoying each other’s presence.”
Ho hopes their runners-up finish will resonate back home, saying: “I hope that with this silver, the teams and youths in Singapore will be inspired and know it’s possible for us to take on the biggest nations in the world.”
