Singapore regain Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation Cup with last-gasp win over Thailand

Straits Times

06-06-2025

The Singapore men's floorball team lifting their trophy after winning the Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation Cup on June 5. PHOTO: AOFC
SINGAPORE – Maintaining a zero-zero mindset made heroes of the Singapore men's floorball team, as they reclaimed the Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation (AOFC) Cup with a last-gasp 8-7 win over archrivals Thailand in the final on June 5.
Now the young outfit are hoping that success at the fourth edition of the tournament in Jiangxi, China, will be a springboard to more silverware at the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand.
Singapore coach Sonia Chia was heartened by the spirit of the squad, whose average age is 23, as they clawed their way back from a four-goal deficit in the final at the Yudu Sports Centre.
The 41-year-old said: 'We had a good start, and then it didn't go as well, but we managed to come back.
'The more important thing is how we actually played in the match, given that this is one of the youngest teams that we've ever sent.'
World No. 17 Singapore had led 2-0 in three minutes through goals from defenders Gerald Tan and Thaddeus Tan.
But a hat-trick from Pheeraphong Khambanlue helped the 13th-ranked Thais turn the tables, as they led 7-4 in the second period, during which forwards Ethan Teoh and Foo Jun Wei narrowed the deficit for the Republic.
Adopting the mentality that the score is always 0-0 whether leading or trailing, Singapore continued the comeback in the final period.
Defender Keanen Poon, centre Dzafir Ilhan Nizam and Foo made it 7-7, before defender Ethan Wong slotted home the winner with only seconds left to spark wild celebrations.
This was Singapore's first competitive win over Thailand since the second AOFC Cup in 2019, when they beat an experimental Thai side 17-1 in the final.
Their last competitive win before that was a 5-2 victory in the world championship qualifiers in 2016, when Chia was also the head coach.
The Thais had defeated the Republic several times since, including the third AOFC Cup in 2023 in Singapore, where they won 4-2 in the final.
They had also beaten Singapore 9-1 and 11-7 in 2022, 4-3 en route to winning the 2023 SEA Games and 10-1 at the world championship qualifiers in 2024.
At the 2025 AOFC Cup, they beat Singapore 6-4 in their opening game on May 31.
But Singapore won their remaining four matches (35-1 against Macau, 6-1 over China, 6-3 against South Korea, 30-1 over Hong Kong) to finish second, setting up the final against Thailand, who topped the six-team pool with a perfect record.
Captain Tan, 26, believes that their mentality had given them the edge in the final.
He said: 'We started really well, even better than our first game... but this time around, we were the ones who took the upper hand. It was really exciting... and kudos to the boys for giving their all and never giving up.
'We were all very prepared for this scenario.
'At the airport before we left for the tournament, we came together and went through the objectives, one of it being a 0-0 mindset all the way until the final whistle.
'That means whether we are trailing or leading, we will not be complacent or defeated before the game even ends.'
Singapore defender Foo Jun Wei helping to launch an attack against Thailand.
PHOTO: AOFC
Both coach and captain noted that some of the Thais are playing for Swedish clubs. They include forwards Lukas Huebinette, Arwid Per Makinen, Pawat Thaidit and Oscar Snell.
While some of them may not be in the top division, Tan added: 'The difference in level is very, very evident when you compare it to the Singapore league.'
Turning his sights to the SEA Games, Tan noted that there will be another strong contender for gold in world No. 12 Philippines, who did not compete in the AOFC Cup as they are preparing for the World Games in Chengdu in August.
The last two times that floorball was contested at the SEA Games, the Singapore men's team won a silver (2019) and a bronze (2023).
He added: '(The Philippines are) one of our toughest opponents that we will face at the SEA Games, among the other opponents that we'll be facing.
'But at the end of the day, at least for Singapore, we want to have the heart of a lion and go for the win. A win is possible, but most importantly, we have to overcome our previous defeats.'
While Thailand coach Kenneth Koh said some of the refereeing calls during the final were 'dubious', the Singaporean congratulated his compatriots on the victory.
He said: 'It was an exciting and intense final for both the young teams that was otherwise marred by some dubious refereeing calls very, very late into the game.
'Singapore took full advantage of this and managed to score the deciding goal with less than a minute remaining.'
He added that a 10-day training camp in Sweden in July has been planned and a couple more are on the cards ahead of the SEA Games, as the Thais seek to win a third gold on the trot.
Melvyn Teoh is a sports journalist at The Straits Times.
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