GWANGJU, South Korea: South Korea’s female water polo team have lost their first two games at the World Championships by an eye-watering aggregate score of 94-1 — but they celebrated their goal as if they had won gold.
After suffering a record 64-0 defeat by Hungary in their Group B opener at the weekend, the plucky hosts were battered 30-1 by the 2017 bronze medallists Russia on Tuesday.
But despite another lopsided result, goalscorer Kyung Da-seul was the toast of Gwangju after finding the net in the final quarter to trigger tearful scenes.
The 18-year-old said she would cherish the memory but was sad not to keep the ball as a memento.
“I’d love to have the ball but I have no idea where it’s gone,” Kyung told local media.
“I’d be grateful if someone found it for me.”
Footballers get to keep the match ball when they score a hat-trick and baseball players often keep the ball they hit for their first career run or homer — if they can trade a signed bat or other memorabilia to get it back.
Kyung went home without her ball but was nevertheless feted as if she had hit the winning run in baseball’s World Series after her goal provided a little respite with the Koreans losing 27-0.
“When I took the shot I didn’t think it was going to go in,” revealed Kyung. “But I gave it everything I had. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”