Botswana beat Singapore in opening game

The matchup against Botswana, ranked 17th in the world, was the Republic's best chance of victory in their drawn pool which includes the South Africa (6th) and Jamaica (4th). Singapore are currently ranked 19th.

After the opening ceremony showcased Singapore's rich cultural diversity, a heightened atmosphere greeted the local team as they marched onto the court. To the delight of the home crowd, Singapore raced to a 2-0 lead when captain Jean Ng intercepted Botswana's first centre pass effort. Singapore then had a couple of attempts to score the third consecutive goal but failed to sink the shot which allowed the African side to break their duck two minutes into the game.