Anderson Wong is a 21-year-old water polo athlete from Malacca. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Information Technology degree at HELP University. He began swimming about eight or nine years ago, but when he had gotten no results from swimming, he decided to switch to water polo instead. When he made the switch into water polo, he soon began experiencing tremendous results and success. He received his biggest accomplishment by successfully participating in the Singapore SEA Games in 2015 and the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games this year in 2017.
Anderson attributes his success in water polo to his training sessions that occur twice a week which helps him maintain good stamina and focus, and his supportive teammates, despite having to travel all the way to Seremban to train. As Anderson continues to train for different competitions, he feels confident thanks in part to his many years of swimming competitively prior to his switch to water polo that has given him an edge over his junior teammates. His advice to anyone interested in taking up water polo seriously is to watch YouTube videos about the sport.
“If someone new wants to start, then, by all means, go for it,” says Anderson, “Do not be afraid to start. And don’t be afraid of getting hit by the ball. In short, just go for it.”
Anderson credits his coaches for inspiring him to train hard and to do his best as water polo is a challenging sport. Water polo players have to constantly swim above the surface of the water when they are fully submerged. Think of it as a combination of soccer and basketball, but in a pool! The object of the game is to outscore your opponent. Players will do this by passing the ball among their teammates, across the pool, and into the opposing team’s goal. It is a popular sport in high schools, colleges, and even in the Olympic Games. It is vigorous, entertaining and extremely fun to participate in.
