Two Thai Women Water Polo Players Help Club Win Israeli Cup Championship Ahead of Asian Games
Two Thai women water polo players helped Israeli club Hapoel Yoqneam win the national cup championship, marking Thailand's first high-level international sports title and boosting preparations for the upcoming Asian Games.
Two members of Thailand's women's water polo team preparing for the Asian Games—Am Pantila Asayuttha and Phrawa Raksina Rueangtharp—have been performing excellently for Hapoel Yoqneam, a leading Israeli water polo club, helping the team capture the Israeli Cup championship.
Thai national team head coach Maksim Kordovsky, who has been monitoring the two athletes' development, revealed that this is not the Yoqneam club's first championship. The club is a top-tier European team with strong infrastructure, excellent traditions, and professional working practices. He expressed genuine pride in the athletes' commitment and discipline, noting how they have performed well in their positions and contributed to this success.
For Thai water polo, this represents a historic achievement—the first time Thai athletes have won a national-level championship abroad at such a high level. This is not merely a personal achievement for the athletes but a source of pride for Thailand's entire aquatic sports federation.
Kordovsky also noted that while it is difficult for him to assess the athletes' development from a distance, he is fully confident in Yoqneam's professional approach, having worked closely with the club's coaching staff and management. He believes the athletes are gaining invaluable experience that cannot be obtained from ordinary training—competing in the Israeli league, Israeli Cup, and European competitions develops not only technical and tactical skills but also shapes the athletes' character and mental fortitude, helping them understand what true excellence means.
Regarding the Asian Games, Kordovsky stated that both players are undoubtedly key members of the Thai national team with exceptional talent and important roles. Championships result from team effort rather than individual players. He thanked all athletes, both those training in Thailand and those gaining experience abroad, as every step forward and every competition brings the team closer to its greater goals.
"We continue to await new successes from our athletes competing in Europe. For Yoqneam, there are still the Israeli league semifinals on May 28 and the Israeli championship finals on May 30. I sincerely hope this season will bring another important championship to the team," Kordovsky said.
