US college basketball’s top tier beckons for Hong Kong’s Yannie Chan after move to Iona
- She switches from Emmanuel College to Iona University to play in NCAA Division I for the first time
Hong Kong starlet Yannie Chan Yan-man said that she wanted to challenge herself at college basketball’s highest level after deciding to switch between US universities last month to join Iona.
Leaving Emmanuel College in Boston after three full years, the fourth-year student will be playing Division I women’s basketball for the first time in her NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) career. The highest echelon of college basketball in the United States, its 68 teams contest the national championship.
“When I was playing in the summer league in the US, I was playing with a lot of Division I players, and they believed I should try to challenge myself,” the Hongkonger said.
“My [left ankle] injury earlier this year gave me more time to think about my future. I want to challenge myself in a new environment. I am also motivated by the desire to prove even a Hong Kong girl can play at the highest level.”
Chan was offered full scholarships by Marist College and Iona, both in New York, and the 22-year-old picked the latter after paying a visit to New Rochelle.
“I enjoyed my time with the team [during the visit], and I liked the head coach [Angelika Szumilo] very much,” Chan said. “She comes from Poland, and I thought I could learn a European style of basketball from her, too.”
