Singapore water polo team faces backlash over controversial 'moon-on-groin' swim trunks

Editor's note: This story is from the 2010 Asian Games and not those in Incheon

Singapore's men's water polo team has been turning heads at the Asian Games for all the wrong reasons.

Even the Singaporean government has spoken out to condemn the national team's choice of the striking moon-on-groin design. A statement from the Information Ministry "the team did not seek our advice on the use of the crescent moon and stars when they designed their swim trunks" and assured citizens that they "would have told them that their design is inappropriate as we want elements of the flag to be treated with dignity."

Since Asian Games regulations stipulate that a team's kit cannot be altered during the tournament itself, however, there's nothing for the polo players to do but promise never to use the offending design again - and try to look dignified in the meantime.

While not quite as outrageous, the trunks do give us a regional equivalent to the Colombian women's and men's cycling team uniforms that caused such a stir recently: