Thai Women's Water Polo Beats Japan for Silver Medal

Thailand's women's water polo team defeated Japan to claim the silver medal at the 2026 Asian Age Group Championship held at Thammasat University's aquatic sports center in Rangsit on the final day of competition. Both Thailand and Japan entered the match with identical records of 4 wins and 1 loss, with China having already secured gold by winning all six matches. The winner of this Thailand-Japan matchup would take silver, while the loser would earn bronze.

Thailand started cautiously and took an early 7-3 lead, then mounted sustained offensive pressure to extend their advantage to 10-4 by the end of the second quarter. Japan rallied in the third quarter to close the gap to 9-12, prompting Israeli head coach Maxim Kordovsky to make tactical adjustments in the final quarter. Thailand's pack defense and long-ball counterattacks, combined with standout performances from goalkeeper Pantila Asayuth (an Israeli league MVP) and sharpshooter Parneya Chotrojjananan, secured a dominant 17-13 victory.

After the match, head coach Maxim Kordovsky praised the competition as excellent for youth-level water polo and noted that keeping the team relaxed against Japan paid off. He emphasized the need for continued development across all aspects of Thai athletes ahead of the Asian Games. Soob Chaiyya, chairman of the Thai Water Sports Association's water polo division, said the silver medal victory has boosted team confidence, as the players represent Thailand's Asian Games roster and have a realistic goal of finishing in the top three.