By Ahmad Irfan Kaysan Bin Ahmad Mudzakkir (26S03E, Captain)
The whistle blows. The water explodes. It’s you and six teammates against the world. In water polo, everything happens all at once. Legs kicking, balls whizzing, voices roaring. Constant swimming up and down the pool requires elite endurance and mental toughness to last the entire game. And when that goal lands, the stands erupt. If this is where you thrive, this is definitely the CCA for you!
Water polo is a full contact, high-tempo sport that blends swimming, ball skills, tactics and a lot of grit. Playing water polo not only boosts your fitness, it builds mental fortitude and imparts essential life skills such as teamwork, strategic decision making and perseverance. Rest assured that you will be in the good hands of your seniors and experienced coaches who will guide you every step of the way. They help us build strong swimming techniques, ball-handling skills and tactical awareness.
The team trains to compete in the A-Division Water Polo National School Games and regular friendlies, so you learn the game the right way and play it under real stakes.
As our seniors often say, “You only need to play water polo for a year and you’ll have a six pack.” While this may sound impossible, it often turns out to be true! So if you’re looking to get more toned and shredded, do consider joining us!
Training sessions are held at RI’s very own Hong Leong Swimming Complex. We train on Mondays (6:00pm-8:30pm) and Wednesdays (9:00m-11:00am) with a third session on Saturdays (9:00am-12:00pm) during season build-up.
Also, you don’t have to worry about getting to know your teammates — we have regular pre and post-training meals, where we bond and build team camaraderie. With more training sessions than most CCAs, we meet up with our CCA mates frequently, allowing us to forge closer bonds.
As mentioned earlier, the training might be tough, but as the saying goes, “no pain, no gain.” The long swim sets and grueling sessions are all for our own benefit, helping us perform at our highest level during competitions.
In the 2025 National School Games, we successfully defended our A Division Boys’ Water Polo title, clinching the championship once again.
Moments like these make those grueling sessions worth it, as all the effort you put into CCA pays off, and everyone enjoys the fruits of their labour. However, the joy of winning championships is just one of the many memorable experiences you’ll have.
From rowdy bus rides to tournament venues and exhilarating post-match celebrations after winning a hard-fought game, to the simple things like sharing a meal after a training session, every moment contributes to this rich and rewarding journey.
We also have non-training related highlights such as Gryphons’ Recall, where we invite former RI water polo seniors to return to the pool and spar with us. This provides us with a much-needed opportunity to reconnect with our seniors, helping us further enhance our skill set.
Beyond polo, a group of us also represented RI at the Swimming National School Games. These experiences remind us that hard sessions really do pay off and that showing up for one another matters everywhere.
If you are looking to try something new, enhance your physique and fitness, and meet new people, we highly recommend joining RI Water Polo! Rest assured, during your two years in water polo, you’ll gain countless rewarding experiences and create fond memories that will stay with you for life.
We welcome anyone who can swim, and we hope to see you at our CCA trials!
