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An athlete from Singapore's men's water polo team wears a swimming trunk with the Singaporean flag's white crescent moon detail on the front, at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, November 25, 2010. The skimpy trunks sported by Singapore's men's water polo team at the Asian Games are causing red faces back home in the conservative city-state, with many embarrassed by their design. Credit: Reuters/Bobby Yip
By Ian Ransom
GUANGZHOU, China | Thu Nov 25, 2010 7:26am EST
GUANGZHOU, China (Reuters) - The skimpy trunks sported by Singapore's men's water polo team at the Asian Games are causing red faces back home in the conservative city-state, with many embarrassed by their design. The trunks display the Singaporean flag's white crescent moon on the front of the red briefs in what has been described as an inappropriate fashion.
The design -- lambasted by readers of Singapore's Straits Times newspaper as "disgusting," "nauseating" and "disgraceful" among other terms -- had not been approved by the country's Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (Mica), which governs the use of the flag. "We would have told them that their design is inappropriate, as we want elements of the flag to be treated with dignity," Singapore media quoted a Mica marketing official as saying.
Few Internet users had given the trunks the thumbs up, many seeing them an insult to the Southeast Asian nation's dignity. "There are 1000s of ways to show patroitism (sic) but sadly regrettably the chap who designed these trunks choose to do it in this disgusting and disrespecting way," one post read on the Straits Times website (www.straitstimes.com).
The trunks had also left the water polo team red-faced but ultimately powerless to do anything about it. "The competition rules state that the trunks must be presented at that start of competition and they must be used throughout the tournament," Jose Raymond, the Singapore delegation's head of public relations told Reuters.
"The team can't use other trunks." Singapore will play a Kuwait team competing under the banner of the International Olympic Committee in a battle for fifth place Thursday at Guangzhou's Tianhe Natatorium. Raymond said the team were "apologetic if they've offended anyone in any way... they meant the flag no disrespect."
Raymond also confirmed the trunks' design would be tweaked upon the team's return home, after local media quoted a Singapore swimming official saying the crescent moon was supposed to be placed "more toward the side." "Mica has given the team permission to use the trunks and then have them redesigned when they get back," he said. China will battle Kazakhstan for the men's gold later on Thursday.
Singapore water polo team in hot water over trunks design
Singapore water polo team in hot water over trunks design
Singapore's men's water polo team is in hot water over the design of their custom-made swimming trunks that have been deemed "inappropriate" by the city-state's government.
Singapore men's water polo team players during their match against Hong Kong China at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China Photo: AP
By Ian MacKinnon in Hua Hin, Thailand 11:37AM GMT 26 Nov 2010
The red and white trunks feature elements of Singapore's national flag, five stars and a crescent moon jutting up from the groin, leaving a somewhat unfortunate impression.
Singapore's government has rebuked the team which is competing at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, for failing to treat the national flag with respect.
The team has apologised and said the offending trunks, which were designed by some members of the team, will be binned after the games close.
But the Asian Games' rules bar changes of uniform once the competition is under way, so the government had no choice but to let the team continue wearing them. Singapore's information ministry said it was not consulted about the design of the trunks and said it wanted "elements of the flag to be treated with dignity".
Images of the team out of the water during their matches has ensured widespread debate in the media and on the internet in prim Singapore. Some found the trunks' design amusing, while others thought them obscene.
"Unfortunately the team did not seek out advice on the use of the crescent moon and stars when they designed their swim trunks," the information ministry said in a statement. "We would have told them that their design is inappropriate." The team is upset by its gaffe and said it never meant to cause offence or embarrassment for Singapore.
"We didn't have the slightest intention to do anything funny on our trunks to insult Singapore or to the national flag," said team manager Samuel Wong, who helped in the design. "We sincerely apologise if it has offended anyone."
