FAMILIARITY ON TAN'S SIDE

Coach of women's floorball team steps up from assistant and interim roles

- Melvyn Teoh

During Singapore's debut at the Women's Under-19 World Floorball Championship in May, coach Tan Yi Ru led the team to a creditable 11th-place finish at the 16-team tournament in Finland, defeating Italy, Australia and New Zealand along the way.

Tan, 34, is now hoping to make his mark at the elite level, having been appointed as coach of the senior women's team on a two-year contract.

With no major assignments left for the team in 2024, the former national player has set his sights on two targets next year.

First, to maintain the three-time defending champions' supremacy at the SEA Games. Next, to go one better than their best finish of 12th at the 16-team World Floorball Championship (WFC), which was achieved in 2019 and 2023.

He is well aware of the magnitude of the task ahead of him, pointing to Singapore's 13-1 thrashing by Norway in the 11th-place play-off during the 2023 world championship on home soil.

“The margin is too huge to look ahead of 11th realistically, 11th at world stage would probably be more measurable now," he added.