Doha, Qatar, February 4, 2024: Kazakhstan won a penalty shootout 6-5 to beat Brazil 16-15 in a tense women’s water polo Group A game at the World Aquatics Championships - Doha 2024 on Sunday.
After the scores were tied 10-10 at the end of the fourth quarter, the two teams could still not be separated after the five rounds of the shootout, which ended 4-4 for 14-14.
In the sudden-death shootout, Brazil missed their second attempt and Kazakhstan hit the winner through Viktoriya Kaplun to complete the tense 16-15 victory at Aspire Dome.
In regulation time, both Darya Pochinok and Anna Novikova scored four goals each for Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan’s captain, Viktoriya Khritankova, feels her team is stronger at the world championships than they were in winning the bronze medals behind China and Japan at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last September/October.
“I am very happy to get this first win,” she said.
“We played with a lot of teamwork to get the win. We were very confident going into the penalty shootout because we just felt it was our game.
“We knew that Brazil would be a strong team but we played as hard as we can, so I would say we gave 100 per cent.”
The captain said Kazakhstan had been training for between two and three months for the world championships.
“I was captain for the Asian Games in Hangzhou and I am still captain here,” she added.
“I feel we are stronger here because we are better prepared for the world championships.”
Brazil led 2-1 after the first period and 4-3 after the second period. The Central Asians were dominant in the third period, taking it 5-3 to lead 8-7, only for Brazil to finish strongly and take the last period 3-2 for 10-10.
Most of the Kazakh players are from Taraz in the south of the country and they are banking on this team spirit to earn them more wins in Doha after this opening defeat of Brazil.