Joel Tan - Behind Each Perfect Game

䨀伀䔀䰀 吀䄀一

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䈀䔀䠀䤀一䐀 䔀䄀䌀䠀 倀䔀刀䘀䔀䌀吀 䜀䄀䴀䔀

J O E L TA N

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“Behind every successful strike seen in public is a thousand times I’ve failed in private” JOEL TAN

Joel Tan

The Fall & Rise

SINGAPORE’S RISING STAR NATIONAL BOWLER

Behind Each Perfect Game THE STORY OF SINGAPORE’S RISING STAR

Joel Tan was 19 when he was in top form as he notched four 300-pinfall games, two in qualifying, one in the Masters and another in the step ladder finals at the 15th Milo International Junior All-Stars Bowling Championship at Malaysia’s Sunway Mega Lanes. The now 22-year-old was Singapore’s next rising star for the bowling scene.

However, there is more than meets the eye. Joel brings us through the struggles he faced during the redefining years of his life, from hitting rock bottom to his comeback in the scene.

Joel was the next rising star of the Singapore’s bowling scene.

Unfortunately, his bowling career took a turn for the worst since 2015 as he faced multiple challenges.

The Fall — The Wait & The Struggle

“I didn’t know what to do... I just kept hoping for change” When Joel turned 20, he had to serve his mandatory national service in Singapore for two years. He was enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He could not commit to the training he used to have when he was in Singapore Sports School. Joel researched, made calls and sought advice from his seniors on what was best to do. He had hoped for the best that the bowling federation could assist him to land a vocation that would allow him to train concurrently but unfortunately, to no avail. Knowing what was ahead of him, he had to bite the bullet and wait a long 2 years before he could train again.

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T H E FA L L — T H E WA I T

T H E FA L L — T H E WA I T

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T H E FA L L — T H E WA I T

T H E FA L L — T H E WA I T

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“Soon enough, I stopped training completely; there was no time. I started to see my family less and less. I was out of the house every night living my life�

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T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

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T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

“I was always smiling but inside I was a mess. Distractions like going out with friends made it easier to cope”

T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

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“At a point of time, I gave up trying to hold on to the dreams of coming back to bowling. I found myself falling in a hole where there was no escape. I started picking up different habits like smoking, even though it may seem okay for normal people to do it; it was taboo for any athlete”

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T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

“There wasn’t much to do; party, drink, eat and repeat it all over again”

T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

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T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

“Crazy days would go by that clubs and bar trips with my army mates got a bit out of control. I started to wonder what I was doing with my life. I had hit rock bottom” T H E FA L L — T H E S T R U G G L E

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The Rise — His Faith

“I fell so far but that didn’t stop my family from praying for me and believing in me” Joel’s family prayed for him relentlessly as they saw him struggling through those years. Joel, being born into a Christian family had personally accepted Jesus as his savior since he was an early teen. While he might have fallen short in his struggles, he knew that out of everything he could find strength from his Faith in God. 25

T H E R I S E — H I S FA I T H

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T H E R I S E — H I S FA I T H

“I felt God draw me back to Him. There was a peace that I have never felt in a such a long time and it was so surreal as I was just doing my devotions and worship. I knew it was time for me to come back to Him and what I lived for when I was younger”

T H E R I S E — H I S FA I T H

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T H E R I S E — H I S FA I T H

“I made a decision never to turn back on what I believed in regardless the situation. This tattoo represents a perfect game; XII, 12 in Roman numerals and X for strikes, meaning 12 strikes in a one game. It’s also a testimony of my life as a bowler and what I’ve been blessed with.

T H E R I S E — H I S FA I T H

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The Rise — The Comeback

“I am back on track! Training day in, day out from the alley” At the end of 2017, Joel picked up himself right before he finished his two years National Service and is hitting the lanes every weekday.

He currently trains for the upcoming World Championships for bowling in Vegas and expects to bring Singapore to the top of all the South East Asian countries.

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THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

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THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

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THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

“Honestly, it’s insanely difficult to get back after such a long time. I had to burst a blister on my thumb three times on the first week I came back; my muscle memory was long gone as well. Bowling is a sport that requires daily training for consistency. But I’ve never been happier, this is what I was made to do and I’m glad I’m back on the lanes!”

THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

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THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

THE RISE — THE COMEBACK

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“I’d like to thank my family for always being supportive and having my back every step of the way.

I also want to give all the glory to God, he’s brought me to where I’m at today and I know that I will always belong to Him.

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