By REDintern Gan Yu Neng
Kamal (Marsiling Team B #5) shoots towards goal. (Photo 1 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)
Choa Chu Kang Sports Hall, Sunday, June 24, 2012 — As the players from Marsiling CSC cooled down from their matches, Azan, the Marsiling Team A #10, said contemplatively: “It’s really about having discipline — no smoke, no drugs … Be good to people. Tomorrow, you won’t know.”
Marsiling CSC Team A had just come off a 3-0 victory over Sembawang CSC, while Marsiling CSC Team B was cooling off from its own win against Woodgrove CSC – winning by 4-0, the largest margin for the day in the Community Games futsal tournament.
Azan, 48, is a veteran of many sports. In the 1970s, he played competitive badminton for his secondary school. He also plays sepak takraw and is now the convener for Marsiling CSC’s sepak takraw team.
As a result of being in charge of the sepak takraw team, he no longer plays competitively, saying: “If I’m in charge, I don’t play. Or the players will comment, ‘Why I can play better but I need to listen to you?'”
His passion, however, is football. He has enjoyed the sports since he was 15, and played for the Singapore Malays football team in 1991.
Asked about futsal, he pointed out some of the players of an on-going match on the court, and compared how their different heights and builds affected their movements. “Futsal is different … there is more speed, you need better ball control, change of direction.”
The players of Marsiling CSC meet every weekend to train at any available venue. For the Community Games futsal tournament, the club submitted two teams — Team A and Team B. According to Azan, this is not based on any criteria.
“Anything lah, all can play,” he said.
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