Former para-sailor Jovin Tan wins his first international boccia title at Canberra World Challenger

SINGAPORE – Three years after making the switch from para-sailing to boccia, Jovin Tan finally savoured his first international title as the Singaporean prevailed at the Nov 3-11 Canberra World Boccia Challenger in Australia.

In the men’s BC1 final on Nov 8, world No. 22 Tan beat 23rd-ranked Munkhdemberel Togootogtokh of Mongolia 9-0 in a battle of the category’s highest-ranked players as he claimed the gold at the Australian Institute of Sport Arena, while teammate Aloysius Gan earned a silver in the men’s BC3 category.

Earlier in the competition, Tan had swept past New Zealand’s Matthew Whiting (15-0), Japan’s Masaki Kanno (11-0), Australia’s Dylan Schwarz (10-1) to top Pool A before pipping Chinese Taipei’s Liu Chia-sheng 4-3 in the semi-finals.

“I am truly happy and grateful for this win,” said an elated Tan. “It wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication in training, guidance from my coaches and incredible support from my family, caregiver, employer and the Singapore Disability Sports Council.

“This gold medal is not just mine; it’s a team effort.”

Besides expressing gratitude to his coaches, the 39-year-old admin assistant at recruitment company ChapmanCG also thanked his employer, which gave him time off for his sporting pursuit.

“This victory means a lot to me, but I see it as just the beginning of my boccia journey. There’s still so much more to learn, to grow and to achieve.”

He had competed in several international events in the past year, with his best finish coming at the Seoul World Cup in September, where he reached the semi-finals.

The aim of boccia, which is played by wheelchair-using athletes with motor-skill impairments, is to bowl the game balls as close as possible to a white target ball known as the jack.

Tan, who was born with cerebral palsy, competed at the Paralympics as a sailor in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. He switched to boccia in 2022 to continue his hunt for a Paralympic medal after the water sport was dropped from the quadrennial Games.

He believes that his background as a sailor had helped him navigate the latest competition, adding: “I was able to perform at my best, because in terms of physical ability, previously I was doing sailing and that helped me to build up my (strength).

“A couple of players (I played against) were also quite good, especially playing against Mongolia and Chinese Taipei. The Mongolian athlete is really, really strong and I don’t have as much arm power compared to him.”

He will be undergoing intensive training next as he prepares to make his Asean Para Games (APG) debut in boccia at the Jan 20-26 meet in Thailand.

Asked about his targets, Tan, who had won an APG gold in sailing in 2015, said: “What I set for myself is that I should enjoy the game, enjoy the experience but at the same time, do my best... so I am not giving myself the kind of unnecessary pressure for my first time.”

Meanwhile, Gan was pleased with his silver despite losing 5-1 to home favourite and top-ranked Daniel Michel.

The world No. 6 said: “Competing here on the home turf of the world No. 1 was a huge challenge, so I’m really pleased with my focus and performance to make it to the final... the experience of playing at this level and learning from my mistakes is even more valuable than the medal itself.”

Gan, along with Tan, will be joined by Paralympic silver medallist Jeralyn Tan and Asian Para Games silver medallists Nurulasyiqah Mohd Taha and Toh Sze Ning at the biennial regional meet.

Gan, who is gearing up for the Dec 7-14 Asian Youth Para Games in the United Arab Emirates, said: “This experience has been perfect preparation for it and I’m looking forward to ending the year on a high note.”