After a 17-hour direct flight to Singapore, the Channel Islands United 70+ men's team had two training days to get our act together. At this year's USA Water Polo Masters Nationals, we dominated our 70+ competition for the national championship, but teams from around the world would be a completely different matter.
Our team consisted of some notable players like Jim Ferguson, the bronze medal winner and Team USA co-captain at the 1972 Munich Olympics, and Richard Esterkin, a member of the USA Water Polo Board of Directors. For my part, I also act as the Coastal California Zone Board Chair and Chair of the USAWP Masters Committee.
Being the #2 seed in the tournament, we faced a progressively difficult schedule. Our first game was against a fellow American team who we had recently faced at Masters Nationals, Blue Thunder, and we handled them 12-2 after a slow start. Following a day off from competition that was filled with tourist action, we next faced an extremely physical Australian team from Perth. It was a protracted battle and we were tied 6-6 with 1:40 to go in the game when Jim Ferguson scored the game-winner. Next up was Piestany from Slovakia. This was a much-needed easier game for us which culminated in a 13-5 victory.
Our next game would be a lot tougher against the reigning world champions from Dusseldorfer, Germany. We had lost the gold medal game to them in Doha, Qatar last year and wanted revenge. Unfortunately, a slow start put us behind again, this time going down by two goals with four minutes to play. Showing grit and possible signs of magic, we scored three unanswered goals for a brilliant 9-8 upset. We were now 4-0 in group play and headed to the semifinals.
Our opponent in the semifinals were the Slovaks, and we dispatched them again, 8-3, to advance to the gold medal game against the Germans. There, we battled back and forth to a 5-5 draw going into the fourth quarter but eventually lost, 7-5. Our lack of cohesiveness on man-up situations ultimately cost us the game. Oh well, 'we gotta work on that' as our next chance for a World Aquatics Masters Championships gold medal will be in Budapest, Hungary in 2027.
Team USA Medalists
GOLD – The Olympic Club 35+ Men
GOLD – The Olympic Club 40+ Men
GOLD – West Houston 40+ Women
GOLD – Darkside 50+ Men
GOLD – Darkside 55+ Men
GOLD – The Olympic Club 60+ Men
SILVER – The Olympic Club 30+ Women
SILVER – Channel Islands 70+ Men
SILVER – Blue Thunder Artifacts 75+ Men
BRONZE – Santa Barbara Masters 60+ Men
BRONZE – Blue Thunder Golden Oldies 75+ Men
