Han Xuan calmly shoots to success
NJC's Han Xuan takes aim at team's problems
Dubbed a "maths and science whiz" by his teachers, National Junior College (NJC) student Wong Han Xuan has built a portable charger by himself, and can go off on lengthy spiels about science, electronics, and his co-curricular activity, shooting.
But, when asked about the last time he got angry, all the 18-year-old could say was: "Um…" before trailing off.
Eventually, he said: "I really don't remember, because I'm usually very calm."
It was because of his calm demeanour that Han Xuan chose to take up shooting five years ago.
"Shooting is not like other sports where there's a lot of motion and energy; it is a sport where you need to be calm and have control over your emotions," he said. "I decided to give it a shot, because I thought it suited my personality."
Despite initially struggling due to his skinny frame, Han Xuan persevered and even qualified for the Singapore Shooting Association's national youth team last year.
Attributing his improvement to help from seniors, he said: "I'm not sure how I improved, but I definitely know that my seniors played a big part.
"Our coach wasn't here every day and, most of the time, it was the seniors who coached us. They really helped me improve my skills."
Following in his seniors' footsteps, Han Xuan, who had been the captain and president of NJC's shooting club before stepping down in June to prepare for the A levels, often renders his teammates the same guidance he once received.
The teenager would turn up at competition venues earlier to help his teammates instead of focusing on preparing for his own event, and would leave only after his teammates completed their events.
"It's part of the club spirit," said Han Xuan, who finished third in the junior category of the 38th South-east Asia Shooting Championship last December. "When I was a junior, my seniors would come down and support us, and help us if needed.
"This is my way of giving back."
BUILD TARGET BOARD
Han Xuan, who aspires to do research in material science, is also working on a project to build an electronic shooting target board for his team.
"Right now, we are using paper targets," he said. "The shooting ranges at Safra and Singapore Sports School have electronic targets, but they are very expensive, so two friends and I are trying to build one for a much more affordable price."
NJC's teacher-in-charge of shooting, Teow Tingwei, praised Han Xuan, saying: "Even when he has stepped down from his role as club president, he still shows a lot of initiative in coming down and offering to fix things to improve training for the students.
"I think all his other teachers can attest to the fact that he is a model student across all areas."
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