Women’s Water-polo Final at Universiade 2011

It was stunning to see the Chinese Women’s Water-polo team beat the U.S.A. team in the Final at Universiade 2011 on August 22.

A water-polo game, mixed with swimming and handball skills, is played in 4 sessions, 2 for the first half and 2 for the second half. There are seven players on each side, one of whom is the goal-keeper. If anyone who is fouled, he or she has to swim to the penalty area, a "shoulder" of the goal of his/her side (see the double white lines) and stay there for 20 seconds. For a severe penalty, there will be a penalty goal like one at the football field.

In this match between China (in blue hats) and U.S.A.(in white hats), China was on the upper hand because the goal keeper on the Chinese side was, like an “iron” door, able to catch the ball or strike it out of the way. The Chinese players should be praised for their ability to shoot the ball into the net, by bouncing it on the water surface before it went into the net or at the spot where the goal-keeper of the opponent side could not reach.

The score extended to 9:0 in the first half. The game became tighter when the Americans scored its first goal. Both sides won several goals until the end of the game. The final result was that the Chinese team won by 14: 4. The Gold medals went into the hands of this young and energetic Water-polo team of China.