Shooter Han Xuan aims to study and train overseas
As a shooter, it is only natural for National Junior College (NJC) student Wong Han Xuan to have ice running through his veins.
But the 18-year-old ( admitted his heart beat "faster than normal" yesterday, after he was named the boys' winner for The New Paper School Sports Star Award presented by H-TWO-O.
He picked up a trophy, a certificate and $3,000 from Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu, at an award ceremony at the Singapore Sports School.
"I'm still stunned now, I didn't think I would win," Han Xuan said after the ceremony.
The maths and science whiz, who was NJC's shooting club captain and president until he stepped down in June to prepare for the A Levels, still helps out whenever he can.
He is working on a project to build an electronic shooting target board for his team, as NJC uses only paper targets, and outside shooting facilities are costly to use.
Han Xuan dedicated his win to his parents.
"I'm fortunate that they are quite flexible with my interests in shooting.
"Many Singaporean parents might not be so supportive, considering I sometimes sacrifice family time on weekends for shooting," he said.
The teenager, who qualified for the Singapore Shooting Association's national youth team last year and finished third in the junior category of the 38th South-east Asia Shooting Championships last December, hopes to continue excelling in both studies and sport.
"I'm enlisting for National Service in January, so I don't expect to train so regularly next year," he said.
"But I'm aiming for an A*Star scholarship after that and, hopefully, I get a chance to study and train overseas."
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