Matilda Lai up for a challenge to juggle full-time undergrad studies and 3x3 commitments

SINGAPORE – She cannot handle spicy food, yet she loves mala cuisine for its numbing sensation derived from Sichuan peppercorn and chilli.

It is clear Matilda Lai enjoys a challenge, which explains why the national basketball player began her pursuit of an economics degree at the Nanyang Technological University just two days before the inaugural FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Singapore stop tips off at *Scape on Aug 13.

The 20-year-old is relishing the chance to test her resilience as she juggles her full-time studies and a full training load – three weekday mornings in addition to every weekday evening – for 18 to 20 hours a week – besides taking care of a nine-year-old dog that she adopted recently.

Lai told The Straits Times: “Once you decided what is worth the challenge, you have to go through with it without stopping.

“I took a gap year (in 2025) to commit to pursuing 3x3 more seriously. I wanted to see how far I can push with 3x3 in that one year and I managed to achieve some of my goals.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs but it helped me become a better athlete, and now I want to see if I can manage both together.”

It has been a busy year for Lai, who also played at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and is set to feature at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

“Whatever time I have that isn’t spent on training will all be used to do schoolwork or rest, and I will probably ask for resources to be uploaded online so that even if I take leave of absence, I can still catch up on schoolwork on my own.”

The 1.8m Lai has come a long way since first picking up a basketball at age nine after being influenced by her cousin.

Through her love for the sport and hard work, she became a National School Games East Zone champion with Anglican High School.

She then captained Nanyang Junior College to their maiden A Division girls’ title in 2024 and was named Most Valuable Player with a game-high 26 points, before making the switch to 3x3 and earning a place in the national team.

It took time for her to get used to the different format, and there were setbacks such as not returning from the 2025 SEA Games and 2026 Asian Beach Games with a medal.

But there were also milestones as the national women’s team made it to the quarter-finals of the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup, and were one win away from a historic FIBA 3x3 World Cup qualification, in April.

The Women’s Series Singapore stop will be another challenge in Lai’s 3x3 career as her Singapore team are drawn into Pool B alongside six-time Asia Cup semi-finalists China and the Netherlands Under-25s in the world’s top competition for professional female 3x3 players.

Besides the national team, Singapore will also be represented by Lion City in the qualifiers where they need to beat Madagascar or Indonesia to get into the main draw.

Eyeing a place in the last eight of the Singapore stop, Lai said: “I hope to win medals in a few major Games, to make the top four at the Asia Cup, and make it to the quarter-finals for at least one of the remaining stops this season. Individually, I also want to improve on my skills and leadership.”

National 3x3 basketball coach Lazar Rasic feels that Lai has “developed in a proper way” physically and tactically in the past two years, and said of the teams’ prospects: “This Women’s Series stop is one of the strongest with some of the biggest names in the game.

“Lion City have a good chance to get into the main draw, and Singapore face two strong teams and will need to play their best in front of their home crowd to stand a chance of a surprise result, and we will hustle hard to achieve as best a result as we can.”

The 3x3 Women’s Series Singapore stop will be followed by the Aug 15-16 Singapore Challenger, a tournament in the FIBA 3x3 Challenger tour that serves as a direct qualifying pathway for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.

The national men’s team are in Pool A with Dutch side Amsterdam Rabobank and Bahrain’s Seef, and will be led by captain Nur Aufa Emil Putra, who missed the Lion City Challenger in June with a slipped disc.

The 25-year-old, who was part of the team that won a historic SEA Games silver in December 2025, said: “The injury happened for a while since the Asian Beach Games in April, but I got it checked only in June.

“I was out for two weeks focusing on treatment and rehab, before going for a training camp and the Commonwealth Games where we made it out of the group stage. Anything can happen in 3x3 and our target for the upcoming tournament is to win.”

The FIBA 3x3 Youth Nations League, featuring the Singapore Under-23s and other top teams, will also take place at *Scape from Aug 20 to 26.