[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/","headline":"Aloysius Yapp: Tracking the journey to the top of the world rankings","name":"Aloysius Yapp: Tracking the journey to the top of the world rankings","description":"The 2021 US Open Pool Championship had a buzz to it like no other. After all, the last edition was back in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic forced anything resembling normal life to grind to a halt.\u00a0 At the Harrah\u2019s Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, 256 players started the competition, hoping to be the […]","datePublished":"2021-11-10","dateModified":"2022-01-12","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/editor2\/#Person","name":"Philip Goh","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/editor2\/","identifier":58,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4527848c5c24cebcd470a8dcb7d645d94aed729bebb5dafa8ff80da72208ecfc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4527848c5c24cebcd470a8dcb7d645d94aed729bebb5dafa8ff80da72208ecfc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1636601336286_Source_Aloysius_Yapp_Facebook_1280x626px_V2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/1636601336286_Source_Aloysius_Yapp_Facebook_1280x626px_V2.jpg","height":626,"width":1280},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/","video":[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ifCaVLmwEL8#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ifCaVLmwEL8","name":"The Time Foul Dispute with Shane Van Boening | 2021 U.S. Open Retrospective","description":"The 2021 U.S. Open was a sight to behold, but one of the moments that seemed to spark the interest of the Internet was the time foul that was called on Shane Van Boening in his match against Aloysius Yapp in the last 16. Shane thought he called extension, but the referees are supposed to enforce the letter of the law and had to issue him a time foul when they didn't hear it. This led to several minutes of discussion and questions and more.\n\nHere's the moment in question: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=289972096272808\n\nThanks to Lala for the insight - go give him reddit gold on r\/billiards or something.\n\nCheck out Your Average Pool Player Rollie Williams: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/RollieWilliams?sub_confirmation=1) \n\nSubscribe to Kamui Brand: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/KAMUIBRAND?sub_confirmation=1\n\nSubscribe to Matchroom Pool: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/MatchroomPool1?sub_confirmation=1","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ifCaVLmwEL8\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ifCaVLmwEL8\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ifCaVLmwEL8\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ifCaVLmwEL8\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/ifCaVLmwEL8\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2021-09-28T17:15:05+00:00","duration":"PT7M38S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ifCaVLmwEL8","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCAPfHpUZv4AnnFTyOzX0_TQ#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCAPfHpUZv4AnnFTyOzX0_TQ","name":"KAMUI BRAND","description":"Kamui Brand is a global billiards company based in Hiroshima, Japan. We have an obsession for quality control and technology, which allows us to produce the best tips, chalk, and gloves made for pool, billiards and snooker.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_kA79UvFNGhejREzUcg3ae-Q-DavQUm5nhprwt8fDoc7Q=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ifCaVLmwEL8#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ifCaVLmwEL8#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ifCaVLmwEL8&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ifCaVLmwEL8#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":278568}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ifCaVLmwEL8#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":2548}]},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UzoGy5FoX8A#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UzoGy5FoX8A","name":"Shane Van Boening vs Yapp Aloysius US Open 9 Ball Championship 2021 FULL MATCH","description":"#ShaneVanBoening #YappAloysius #usopen2021 #9ball #9ballpool #billiards","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/UzoGy5FoX8A\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/UzoGy5FoX8A\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/UzoGy5FoX8A\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/UzoGy5FoX8A\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/UzoGy5FoX8A\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2021-09-18T05:24:19+00:00","duration":"PT1H18M22S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UzoGy5FoX8A","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCow84HPBEvLX3xP1MGDAqww#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCow84HPBEvLX3xP1MGDAqww","name":"SportsUpz","description":"It's all about sports, latest news and updates regarding sports is here.\n\nThank you for dropping by!\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_kdKwX2OPibGGktjipqfsK2TBu_SeJyyDobe9iLwPTMr8o=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UzoGy5FoX8A#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UzoGy5FoX8A#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UzoGy5FoX8A&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UzoGy5FoX8A#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":38070}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UzoGy5FoX8A#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":236}]}],"commentCount":"5","comment":[{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/#Comment1","dateCreated":"2026-06-30 04:40:15","description":"Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"binance","url":"https:\/\/www.binance.com\/register?ref=JW3W4Y3A"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/#Comment2","dateCreated":"2026-05-02 11:22:57","description":"Perfectly balanced between detail and simplicity.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"tv live world","url":"https:\/\/ireland-guide.com\/clean-and-redirect-url.php?request=https:\/\/www.oneotv.com\/"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/#Comment3","dateCreated":"2026-04-28 11:08:04","description":"Loved the tone and clarity.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Salomon shoes feid","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/men\/Salomon-Men-Shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/#Comment4","dateCreated":"2026-04-24 12:50:00","description":"This should be a required read.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Women salomon shoes","url":"https:\/\/globalshoepalace.com\/product-category\/women\/Salomon-Women-Shoes"}},{"@type":"Comment","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/#Comment5","dateCreated":"2026-04-22 19:52:24","description":"I don't think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article. https:\/\/accounts.binance.info\/register-person?ref=JW3W4Y3A","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Skapa personligt konto","url":"https:\/\/www.binance.com\/register?ref=IXBIAFVY"}}],"about":["Local","People","Singapore"],"wordCount":3114,"articleBody":"The 2021 US Open Pool Championship had a buzz to it like no other. After all, the last edition was back in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic forced anything resembling normal life to grind to a halt.\u00a0At the Harrah\u2019s Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, 256 players started the competition, hoping to be the last one standing and be crowned a major winner. Most were simply happy to be back playing tournament pool, well aware that travel restrictions meant many others had to stay home, especially those in the Philippines, Taiwan and China.Five intense days of competition has seen all but 16 players eliminated, and no one was betting against Shane van Boening winning the title for a sixth time and picking up the top prize of US$50,000. The 38-year-old American is a modern legend in pool, with over 100 tournament wins, including all of the world\u2019s major titles across pool\u2019s many disciplines \u2013 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, One Pocket, Bank Pool, Straight Pool \u2013 just name your game.But even the South Dakota Kid himself could not have expected to be staring at a 5-0 hole against an opponent who has yet to even earn himself a nickname. After losing the lag, van Boening could only watch as Aloysius Yapp went on a tear, seizing the early initiative in the race to 11. But a botched 2-9 combo by the Singaporean upstart has given the American his first trip to the table, and an opportunity perhaps to find his way back into the contest.What followed was one of those controversial episodes in sports that you wish never happened. At the US Open, a player gets 30 seconds to make each shot (60 seconds for the first shot after the break) and one extension per rack. Facing a tough shot on the 2-ball, van Boening lingered as he weighed his options and appeared to turn to the time-keeper to ask for his extension. What was clear was that the time-keeper did not hear it, and the referee jumped in when the clock ran out on the American.\u00a0Van Boening is hearing impaired and his disability is one of the reasons his career achievements have always been held with extra regard. His achievements made him a deserved Player of the Decade for the 2010s, so crowned by the industry\u2019s most influential magazine, Billiards Digest. And van Boening would often play his matches without turning on his hearing aid, a move regarded a handicap or an advantage, depending which side of the fence you\u2019re on.In the match against Yapp, it appeared to have worked against him as he did not hear the beeps as the clock ran down. While the referee checked out the TV replay to confirm whether or not the extension had been called, Yapp walked over to ask for van Boening to have his shot, in effect backing the American\u2019s insistence he\u2019d ask for more time as he\u2019s allowed to. After a lengthy delay, it appeared Emily Frazer, Managing Director of Matchroom Pool that organised the event, stepped in to defuse the situation and van Boening was allowed to play on.\u00a0\ufeffWhile the jury\u2019s still out on whether van Boening actually called the extension or merely thought he did (video above),  there was no argument about Yapp\u2019s classy gesture. For days afterwards, the pool grapevine buzzed about this up-and-coming Singaporean whose name the commentators struggled with but is proving to be a genuine, all-round good guy. When it emerged later that Yapp had told Frazer he would play a deliberate foul to allow van Boening back at the table \u2013 had the referee insisted the American transgressed \u2013 his reputation was further enhanced.\u00a0Yapp would go on to beat van Boening 11-5 before taking out Rodrigo Geronimo and Dennis Orcollo by identical 11-6 margins. But Carlo Biado in the final would prove one Filipino too far for the Singaporean. Failing to capitalise on an 8-3 lead, a mistake late in the 12th rack allowed the 2017 World Champion back at the table and he proceeded to run off 10 racks in-a-row for the win. Biado\u2019s victory made him the first Filipino in 27 years to pick up the coveted title after the legendary Efren Reyes.\u00a0Aloysius Yapp makes his first major final in the 2021 US Open but came up second best to Filipino Carlo Biado. (Photo source: TheQshop \/ Facebook)As for Yapp, the runner-up finish gave him his career biggest paycheque of US$25,000 and signalled his arrival into pool\u2019s elite company, apart from winning himself a legion of new fans. It also validated a decision he took years ago to quit school and commit himself to playing pool fulltime.Ready for the next stepFour years after embarking on his pool journey via a toy table, young Aloysius Yapp was becoming quite a useful player. All those hours spent at TheQshop were starting to pay off, and Uncle Paul Pang was a patient teacher, as were his sons who ran the shop with him, even opening the shop on their days off so that young Aloysius could play. But there was still so much to learn.\u00a0Pool, in essence, looks a simple enough game \u2013 you start with a break, and proceed to clear the table by potting each numbered ball in ascending order. But the best players have killer breaks, often able to get at least one ball to drop, and they seem to have the cue ball on a string as they work their way from one ball to the next until there are none left to play. Cue ball control is what separates the best from the rest, and Aloysius wanted to be the best.He also wanted to start playing tournaments \u2013 to be able to pit his skills against other players and see how his game holds up to others. After all, the best players are the ones who are constantly being tested and tempered by the heat of competition. But Uncle Paul had kept him away from competition, and from other players of his age, not wishing to expose him in any manner.For his 12th birthday in 2008, Aloysius received a splendid birthday gift \u2013 a 7-foot pool table of his own, installed by the crew from TheQshop, right in the middle of his living room.Said his mother Angie Tay, \u201cFor his age, he wasn\u2019t able to play in the pool halls, so after realising he has the talent and seeing his passion for the game, I thought a 7-footer at home would be good for him to continue his practice whenever he has time. That table still occupies the centre of our HDB living room. So, I don\u2019t have a coffee table in my living room, it\u2019s the sofa set and a pool table.\u00a0An 11-year-old Aloysius Yapp getting up close and personal with some of the world\u2019s best players at the 2007 Guinness 9-Ball Tour Singapore event. (Photo courtesy of Paul Pang)Turning 12 also meant sitting for his Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), like all school-going children in Singapore do at that age. There wasn\u2019t much expectation for him to do exceptionally well, as even Tay admitted that so long her son passes his examinations, that would be good enough. But for young Aloysius, there was an added incentive for him to do well \u2013 Uncle Paul had promised him a new pool cue, one that he had long coveted.\u201cHe was already talking about turning pro and going for competitions,\u201d says Paul Pang, \u201cand I said to him, \u2018no way, you have to pass your PSLE first\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSo I set him a target of 180 points for his PSLE, which was a very average score, and told him if he could hit the mark, I would present him the Predator limited edition cue. It costs over S$1,000 and I knew he\u2019d been eyeing it for a long time. I also said I would bring him to the World Junior Championship.\u201cWhen the results were out, he came back to tell me he didn\u2019t manage to hit the 180-point mark but managed to pass. I told him \u2018I\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t give you the cue\u2019.\u201dBut Pang still brought young Aloysius to the World Junior 9-Ball Championship that December in Reno, Nevada, which proved another turning point in the young pool ace\u2019s journey.A life-changing experienceSince its inception in 1992, the annual World Junior 9-Ball Championship has proven a significant tournament for up-and-coming players, with many of its finalists going on to bigger things. Three-time finalist Ko Pin-yi of Taiwan, who won twice, went on to pick up the senior title in 2015. Fedor Gorst, who won the junior title in 2017 when it was held in his native Moscow, went on to win the senior title two years later with a 13-11 result over Taiwan\u2019s Chang Jung-lin, who himself was a two-time runner-up in the junior competition (2001 and 2003). Yapp\u2019s hero Wu Chia-ching was the junior runner-up in 2004 before nabbing the senior crown the very next year as a 16-year-old, and is still the youngest-ever world senior champion.But for 12-year-old Aloysius back in 2008, the World Juniors in Reno was the very first competition of any kind he had been involved in.\u201cUncle Paul told my mom he wanted me to play in this event. He said it would be good exposure for me to see how the world\u2019s top junior players play and also the whole experience of being there at the event,\u201d recalls Yapp.Pang picks up the story, \u201cI already saw that he was playing better than those who in our Singapore junior team. His break, potting angles and sharpness were already above them. So, I managed to get him a self-funded spot to the World Championships. I actually paid for the trip for Aloysius and brought along my wife for a holiday at the same time.\u201dPang also acted as team manager for the other Singaporean players at the tournament, which included then top junior Sharik Sayed.Mobile phone cameras weren\u2019t the best in 2008, the year Aloysius Yapp (second from right) and Sharik Sayed (extreme left) went to the World Junior Championships, won by Taiwan\u2019s Ko Pin-yi (second from left). (Photo courtesy of Paul Pang)\u201cIn Reno, Aloysius lasted the longest of the Singaporean players in competition despite being the youngest player of the tournament. Even the tournament director was impressed, and he said to me the boy has a bright future,\u201d recalls Pang. \u201cAfter he came home, his mind was completely stuck in pool.\u201dYapp concurs, \u201cIt took that first trip to the US for the World Junior Championship in 2008 to convince me this is I wanted to do this for a living. Meeting all the future top players there such as Taiwan\u2019s Ko Pin-yi, who won the tournament that year, really inspired me. When I got back to Singapore, I realised this is the thing for me.\u201dEven Tay was surprised by his son\u2019s strength of conviction. \u201cThe 2008 World Juniors was his first international competition, and he was so awed by the atmosphere that after he came back from that trip, he kept on pondering over it. Eventually, he told me that he really wanted to play pool. I was surprised by his strong sense of attachment to the game that he wanted to just go all out and didn\u2019t want to do anything else,\u201d she says.Aloysius would not return to the World Juniors until 2011, although the die was already cast as he continued down his chosen path.New routines \u2013 stepping into competitionsEntering secondary school, young Aloysius already ahead of his schoolmates at St Patrick\u2019s School on one count \u2013 he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, and he was willing to work for it.\u00a0Recalls Pang, \u201cHe\u2019s very hard working and he\u2019s got the talent, he has a goal and has the determination to go all the way in this game. No matter how hard I pushed him to stay focused on schoolwork, he was determined to just play pool.\u201cBy the time he was 13, he was beating everyone who came to the shop, playing on the 7-foot table. I realised he needed to start playing on the competition standard 9-foot table. So, I got him a junior sporting membership at the Chinese Swimming Club where they had a wonderful billiards and snooker room, and he started training there by himself.\u00a0\u201cAt the Chinese Swimming Club, he could work undisturbed, and he was very focused on his work. He would put his laptop there and record his own training.\u201d\u00a0Tay appreciated the change in her son\u2019s routine. \u201cIt was excellent that Paul managed to get Aloysius signed on at the Chinese Swimming Club. He would go there every day after school and work on his game, coming home at night, often around 9 or 10pm, after putting in six to seven hours of training. It was a controlled environment where he could work without distractions.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThere wasn\u2019t a dedicated coach for Aloysius who only had Paul mentoring him all along. Paul had always believed that Aloysius had that raw talent in him, and he just needed some guidance on how the shots had to be made and he would practise over and over again until he gets them right.\u201dBy then, Pang had also decided it was time to expose Aloysius to the competitive environment, which kickstarted a new weekend routine.Picking up his first National Under-19 Championship in 2010 at age 14. (Photo courtesy of Paul Pang)\u201cI started bringing him to more local competitions while he was in Secondary 1 and 2, we went to all the weekend events,\u201d recalls Pang. \u201cIt\u2019s always the four of us, my wife and I along with Aloysius and his mother, attending all the competitions at any and every venue across all parts of Singapore. At the age of 13, he was whacking people upside down. He was very impressive and people started taking notice.\u201dAdds Tay, \u201cWe could see him progressing with each tournament and Aloysius himself could see his own improvements and he wanted to go even farther. And he told me he wanted to concentrate on playing pool full time, and that was when I spoke with Paul and we discussed how we should go about doing this.\u201dCompetition results showed an upward trend for Aloysius, who played his first Singapore National 9-Ball Championship as a 13-year-old in 2009, making the last 64, and improved to 17th place the next year in the same competition. At age 14, he won his first National Under-19 9-Ball Championship, and would remain unbeaten in this competition until he outgrew the age limit. And he was also mixing things up, competing in snooker as well to sharpen his aim and improve his cueing discipline.\u00a0Leaving school, with help from a parable in the Good BookIt wasn\u2019t long before school started getting in the way of Aloysius\u2019 pool ambitions, not that he wasn\u2019t trying his hardest to marry both.Recalls Pang, \u201cAloysius wanted to stop school when he was 14, and I told him he cannot do that. I even told him to stop coming to the shop if he wanted to stop going to school. But it was clear he was head over heels into pool, so much so that even for the school art projects he would draw things connected to pool, such as the ball, chalk and cues.\u201cThen one day his Grandma rang me and said \u2018Ah Boy didn\u2019t go to school\u2019, and I found out that the school wanted to expel him for being frequently absent. I went and spoke to the school principal at St Patrick\u2019s, and even offered to set up a CCA (co-curricular activity) for Aloysius, and told the principal the boy\u2019s a national standard player. And the principal at St Patrick\u2019s actually agreed.\u201cI also went and spoke with his mother and told her that he\u2019s just a couple of years away from his \u2018O\u2019 Levels, and to make it as a pro player, he has to be better than the best players Singapore has produced so far but have been unable to make a living as a fulltime playing professional. These are decent enough players but who have gotten nowhere with their standard. Aloysius needed to be way above them to be able to make a living.\u201dAllowing Aloysius to stop going to school was a tough decision for Angie Tay, though not unexpected.\u201cI wasn\u2019t really surprised he wanted to stop school because he was telling me he found it disruptive to balance studies and playing competitions, especially when he had to go overseas. Every time he had to leave Singapore, we would have to write to the school to request for a leave of absence, and when he came back, he would have missed certain topics for his subjects which he found difficult to catch up,\u201d she says.\u201cHis classmates also found it very disruptive when they have to do projects together and he\u2019s not there to contribute. So, it\u2019s disruptive for both him and his classmates at St Patrick\u2019s. When I realised I couldn\u2019t really align his school and tournament schedules, I had a good talk with Paul and we decided perhaps we should let him concentrate on training fulltime in pool so that he can go far and take part in tournaments without disruptions.\u201dBy 2011, Aloysius Yapp was already a professional, sponsored by Mezz. (Photo courtesy of TheQshop)It wasn\u2019t a decision that friends necessarily agreed with, recalls Tay, although she had the backing of her family.\u00a0There was also a little sign from God, as Yapp recalls, \u201cI grew up a Catholic and we went to the Holy Trinity Church in Tampines. And just around the time when I was giving my mum the headache about leaving school, the priest delivered a sermon saying one should not waste God\u2019s given talent. I guess my mum took that as a sign.\u201dTay\u2019s recollection is somewhat similar, although less dramatic. \u201cThere is a parable in the Bible that says that if God gives you a talent, you\u2019re supposed to make use of it and not keep it buried. And I thought since God has given Aloysius the talent to play pool, then I should support it all the way.\u201dWith that divine approval, there was now no turning back for Yapp.Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s\u00a0Facebook\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram, and get the latest updates via\u00a0Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Aloysius Yapp: Tracking the journey to the top of the world rankings","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/aloysius-yapp-the-journey-to-the-top-of-the-world-rankings\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]