By REDintern Zachary Foo
The three brothers have been integral to St. Andrews’ success in the current C Division campaign (from left to right): Tan Jun Ren (#9), Tan Jun Yuan (#11), Tan Jun Rui (#15). (Photo © Zachary Foo/Red Sports)
At the core of the St. Andrew’s Secondary 2013 C Division basketball team is a sight not normally seen – a set of triplets who are the team’s co-captains. St. Andrew’s have qualified for Round 2, finishing second in Group B behind Peicai Secondary in the South Zone C Division Boys’ Basketball Championship.
The brothers, who turned 14 on January 21, are in Secondary 2 and will move on to the B Division next year.
Tan Jun Rui, the eldest, dons jersey #15 and plays on the wing. He is the most vocal of the three and usually is the de facto leader of the team, especially on defence.
Tan Jun Ren, the middle brother, dons jersey #9 and mans point for the team. He tends to be the offensive leader on the team, occasionally running an almost-telepathic pick-and-roll with his elder brother.
Tan Jun Yuan, the youngest brother, dons jersey #11 and is the lone sibling that plays down low. He is marginally taller than both of his brothers and is physically stronger as well. Remarkably, he possess an extremely good shooting stroke for a front-court player.
They have an eldest sister, Yijing, 19, who is currently studying. Their father, Richard Tan, 51, is a civil servant while their mother, Ivy Wong, is a clerk.
In addition to being key contributors to the team’s success, the three brothers also serve as co-captains (‘co-co-captains’ in the words of their coach, Logan) on the team. This leads to the occasional conflict as each of them has their own way of managing the team. On the other hand, it has also proven successful when each brother steps up in his own way to lead their team to victory.
Red Sports managed to sit down and have a chat with them to find out more.
Red Sports: How long have you played basketball?
All 3: Since Primary 4.
Red Sports: What position do you play and what are your strengths?
Jun Rui: SG (Shooting Guard). Shooting.
Jun Ren: PG (Point Guard). Driving to the basket.
Jun Yuan: PF (Power Forward). Rebounding.
Red Sports: Being co-captains, do you find yourself in conflict with your brothers when it comes to leading the team?
Jun Rui: Sometimes, we do argue with each other in training, especially after a broken play. But usually it will be okay after awhile.
Jun Yuan: Sometimes, I will be very frustrated with them when they are not focused during training.
Jun Ren: We do have conflict among each other, but we have to get over it. Like what our coach says about us, either we lead the team to success, or we doom them to failure.
Red Sports: Do you think bring triplets has its advantages when it comes to playing basketball?
Jun Rui: I think we do have that ‘chemistry’ among each other? But it does not appear all the time, especially when we are stressed during a game.
Red Sports: How have your family members supported you?
All 3: Our sister doesn’t usually support us, but both our parents do! Especially our dad. He played basketball actively, as well as coached, in his younger days.
Red Sports: What were the difficulties that you’ve faced in C Division so far?
Jun Rui: So far the difficulties we have faced collectively is our defence, We need to buck up on our man-mark and 1–3–1 zone. There is a need for us to be more cohesive as a team and communicate more.So far, my one problem that I am having difficulty with is my shooting, it has been inconsistent over the past three games. I think it could be due to the fact that the tempo of each game was different, throwing off my rhythm. It is definitely something I can improve on.
Jun Ren: I need to communicate more and be more of a leader, I also need to step up and take control of the offence.
Jun Yuan: My position is to play both the low post and high post but most of the time I’m out on the wings shooting a three-point shot. I need to break that mentality and work to improve on my low post and high post moves. I also need to look to drive to the basket more, especially against bigger defenders.
Red Sports: Any memorable moments when opponents realise that you are triplets?
Jun Rui: Funny enough, there has not been any occasion where it has happened yet.
Red Sports: Who or what inspires you to do better?
All 3: Our dad. His willingness and determination to do his best in everything inspires us to do even better. He has given strong morale support both on and off the court.
Red Sports: How often did you and your teammates train in preparation for C Division?
Jun Rui: We train 3 days a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Two days before the game, we would refine our game and focus on an aspect of the game we feel we are weak in. On the day before the game, we will rest and mentally prepare ourselves for the game.
Red Sports: What are your aspirations for this C Division campaign?
Jun Rui: I hope we can achieve Top 4 in the Zone!
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