The Airforce Swimming Complex lit up with splashes of the biggest Water Polo showdown in the calendar, the National Water Polo Championship 2018, yesterday 26th October.
Photos from Day 1 of the National Water Polo Championship – Day 1
The event is an annual gathering with the best of the best in the sport, teaming up to win bragging rights to the ultimate National title. Three days of intense competition, will see two winners taking home the silverware in the Women’s and Men’s segments, at the end of the term.
Day 1 was scheduled with 11 matches in total, with 9 Men’s clashes and the rest from the Women’s category. Royal College entered this year’s tournament as defending champions from their 2017 glory and their arch rivals, S. Thomas’ College have made a comeback after missing out on last years’ championship.
Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Police, Star Fish Academy and SSC will join the schoolboys at this years’ affair. In the Ladies’ category, defending champions, Visakha Vidyalaya has returned with force, adding their ‘B’ team in the mix as well.
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Challenging them will be the team of OTSC and Sri Lanka Air Force with a noticeable absence of Ladies’ College, last year’s runners-up in the tournament.
Royal College Union Aquatic Club are well on their way to their second consecutive crown, registering 2/2 wins on the opening day. Their opening match against Sri Lanka Air Force was a cracking 21-goal blast. Royal came out victorious 12 goals to 9, at the end of the four quarters.
They later faced the ‘B’ team of the OTSC and posted their second win for the day with a score line of 10-7. Sri Lanka Army ‘A’ also posted two wins on their opening day against the once dominant SSC and their ‘B’ team. They slaughtered SSC by a 9-goal difference, 16 – 7, while their win against the Sri Lanka Army ‘B’ team came with a score of 8 – 3.
Despite the entry, Star Fish Academy was a no-show on the opening day, handing walkovers and 5 goals each to Police and OTSC ‘B’. Police, however, lost their second match to the Airmen 18 goals to 4, later in the day.
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OTSC ‘A’ team defeated the boys from Royal College UAC ‘B’ team in a closely battled, 11 – 9. It was goals galore in their second match against Army ‘B’ as the Thomians managed a mammoth 22 goals to their name. Their opponents could only muster up 7 goals, handing the inevitable win to OTSC.
In the Women’s category, Visakha Vidyalaya ‘A’ and Sri Lanka Air Force steamed their way to massive victories to kick off this years’ championship. Visakha Vidayalaya hammered the Ladies from OTSC 15 – 2 while the Airwomen beat VV ‘B’ by 16 goals to 4.
With two more days of grueling competition left, will Royal College and Visakha Vidyala be able to hold on to their titles? Or will 2018 crown new champions in the National Water Polo Championship on Sunday?
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