Upon graduating from junior college, she was keenly interested in Nanyang Technological University\u2019s sport science programme. Her first application in 2020 failed, but after taking a gap year, her second try the next year was successful.<\/p>\n
All the while, basketball continued to chart its own course for her.<\/p>\n
While working part-time at a cafe during her gap year, she had a chance encounter with her former primary school basketball coach, Ms Esther Quek, the chief executive officer of basketball academy Jumpshot Singapore.<\/p>\n
At the time, Ms Quek, a former Singapore national women’s basketball player, was in the process of restructuring her academy’s women’s team from the traditional 5v5 format to a 3×3 squad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They arranged to meet for a proper catch-up \u2013 and this was where Ms Quek introduced Ms Tan to the new game format and planted the idea in her mind of going professional.<\/p>\n
A CALLING TO 3X3 BASKETBALL THAT CHANGED HER GAME<\/p>\n
Compared to regular basketball, the urbanised 3×3 version is faster-paced, with shorter games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Originally known as streetball or street basketball, 3×3 games are played on a half-court with one loop and last only 10 minutes, compared to traditional basketball games, which comprise four 10-minute quarters.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, 3×3 basketball was formally trialled by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games in Macau, and in 2021, made its Olympic debut at the delayed Tokyo Games.<\/p>\n