Jazreel Tan
Jazreel Tan Shi Hua (born 12 September 1989) is a Team Singapore athlete and captain of the National Bowling Team. She has represented at school level Methodist Girls' Secondary, Singapore Sports School, Wichita State University (United States), and Singapore and all National levels including Asian Schools, National Youth and National Team. Jazreel is Singapore's youngest National Champion that led her to be selected to the National Squad at just age 14, where she has been a mainstay for more than 10 years. Jazreel continues to create history for Singapore and her sport, including most recently winning her first PWBA Tour Title followed by making the Stepladder Finals of the prestigious US Women's Open and winning 3rd place.[1][2]
Recent awards and accolades 2015 -Masters Champion at the Singapore SEA Games -PWBA Lubbock Open Title -US Women's Open 3rd place 2014 -Singapore's most bemedalled athlete at the Incheon Asian Games -Straits Times Athlete of the Year nominee -Singapore Bowling Federation Bowler of the Year -Singapore Sportswoman of the Year nominee
Jazreel Tan is the youngest daughter in a family of 4, daughter of Tan Boon Siong and Tang Yong Choo, and picked up bowling at the age of 10 after following in her brother Andrew Tan's footsteps. She was formerly a school and club swimmer for Tao Nan Primary School, Chinese Swimming Club and Singapore Swimming Club and was amongst the top 3 fastest of her age group, winning many medals and trophies. After she switched full-time to bowling, she continued her sporting excellence and is a two-time Singapore Sportsgirl of the Year, Asian Games Gold Medallist, World Women's Championship Masters Silver Medallist, 3-time US Collegiate Bowler of the Year and MVP and also American Amateur Bowler of the Year.
After Tao Nan Primary School, Jazreel attended Methodist Girls' Secondary but after just 2 years, jumped at the opportunity to enroll in the newly opened Singapore Sports School. Her motivation was to take her bowling to another level, and the new school, which was a national project to better Singapore sports, offered Jazreel the flexibility she needed for daily training. In Sports School, Jazreel was in a "through train" program where she attended AUT and received a diploma in Sports Science. Upon graduation, she was offered a place in the prestigious National Technology University of Singapore to study in their new course, Sports Management. However, Jazreel eventually chose to attend Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas, which had the best bowling program in US helmed by former Hall-of-Famers Gordon Vadakin and Mike Lewis and who offered her a scholarship. A career in Sports would not be considered the norm in Singapore and Jazreel has had to make several tough decisions even at a very young age. Throughout the years and in spite of some trials and tribulations, she has always received the full support of her family especially her parents who encouraged her to chase her dreams.
Jazreel graduated with Magna Cum Laude in Sports Management and returned to Singapore in 2013 to bowl full-time under the Singapore National Olympic Council SPEX program. She won Gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon and was Singapore's most bemedalled athlete. One year on, Jazreel led Team Singapore bowling as captain again at the 28th SEA Games which was held in Singapore. It is a historic event because the last time Singapore hosted the games was 1993, and 2015 also happens to be Singapore's golden jubilee. At the ending segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Games, Jazreel represented Team Singapore alongside a top athlete from each country to be presented to a filled National Stadium and all the audience across the region who were catching the program broadcast live. It is a very remarkable and meaningful feat then that in front of the home crowd, Jazreel clinched 3 Silvers in the Singles, Trios and Team of Five Event, and also Singapore's 81st Gold in the Masters Finals. Judging by her consistent and enduring achievements in bowling for Singapore, such a remarkable career no doubt deserves a place in Singapore's sporting hall of fame sooner than later.[3][4][5][6]
References
- ↑ http://www.bowlingdigital.com/bowl/node/14593
- ↑ http://www.todayonline.com/sports/tan-finishes-third-tough-us-open
- ↑ http://voxsports.co/sea-games-2015-sweet-success-jazreel/
- ↑ "Biography". Jazreel Tan. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- ↑ "Shocker Bowling 2010-2011 Players". Wichita State University. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
- ↑ http://www.shiok.sg/2014/ourteamsg-exclusive-interview-with-team-singapore-bowling-captain-jazreel-tan-at-incheon-asian-games-2014/