You could say Ms Tan Kang Yi didn't choose basketball – basketball chose her.The 25-year-old's journey in professional sports all started with a growth spurt in Primary 5. By Secondary 1, she had reached 1.72m – tall enough to catch the attention of the basketball coaches at Jurong Secondary School, where she was studying.She was invited to a trial and made the cut. Being one of the tallest members of the school team, she was typically a top choice to play centre, a position that requires a height advantage.Basketball almost slipped out of her grasp after she completed her O-Levels – her results did not qualify her for any of junior colleges that were known for the sport, and she had not thought to apply to any of them via the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme.
And then came an offer from Raffles Junior College. By then, her height had inched up to its current peak of 1.77m.It seemed like an opportunity too good to be true – and she came surprisingly close to turning it down."It didn't even make sense," she said frankly. "Me in Raffles, with my academic results? I thought I would not be able to cope."But my dad said, 'Why not? If they have accepted you, it shows that they think that you can do it.' To him, it was a matter of 'clear your heart and just go'."I thought, okay, I will just try."
