From a kid who grew up on the streets of Labuan in Borneo, to a lad who began making waves with Kuala Lumpur to a teenager who caught the eye of many while plying his trade in the Harimau Muda project – Hazwan Bakri’s rise in stock and prominence has been gradual but also impressive.
But it was his Selangor stint where Hazwan really proved his mettle on the biggest stage in Malaysian football. His two goals helped Selangor beat Kedah in the 2015 Malaysia Cup final, he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for the Malaysian national team and he even averaged 0.5 goals a game with the Red Giants. To top things off, he was crowned the ‘Most Valuable Player’ at the National Football Awards last December.
But at the tender age of 25, Hazwan has no intentions of slowing down. He has signed with reigning Malaysian Super League champions, Johor DT – where he is expected to play an integral role this year. Recently, we caught up with the striker for a light discussion on JDT, his ambitions as well as the possibility of venturing into the film industry!
FO: So, Hazwan, tell us. How do you find your training sessions with JDT so far? Are they more intense than anything else you’ve experienced thus far?
HB: The training sessions and the coach are all world-class, the facilities and technology are state-of-the-art. The other club officials are all mostly from overseas, so they all have international experience in handling the club and players.
FO: It’s a big year for you. Do you think you’ll be able to fill in the shoes of players like Amri Yahyah and Juan Martin Lucero?
HB: Hmm.. I’m not sure. That is really up to the coach, if he’s willing to give me a chance to play in their positions.
FO: You were crowned Most Valued Player (MVP) at the Anugerah Bolasepak Kebangsaan in December. In a way, do you think that put more pressure on you to perform well on the pitch?
HB: Actually no, it doesn’t put any pressure on me. Instead, it motivates me to keep improving myself, to perform at my level best when I’m out on the pitch so I can live up to that esteemed title.
FO: Johor DT’s offensive department is brand new. How are you getting along with the other new lads like Darren Lok, Brian Ferreira, Jeronimo Barrales? Who is your biggest competition?
HB: We have a healthy relationship. We get along well, we always communicate on the pitch, during training sessions. I think they are all my competition!
FO: Tell us about Safiq Rahim. How’s your relationship with him, and what kind of leader is he?
HB: Oh I have a very good relationship with captain Safiq Rahim. He’s great as a captain, we’re lucky to have someone of his calibre as the leader in JDT.
FO: What do you reckon you bring to the table that other players in JDT cannot?
HB: There’s really nothing special about me! What I can do is, put in 100% and give my best in every game. Hopefully, that will help Johor DT garner as many wins as possible.
FO: Do you have a personal target for this season? Is there a specific number of goals you’d like to score?
HB: I don’t really have a target. I will try my best score as many goals as I can. And like I said earlier, I’ll try my best to help JDT win as many games as possible.
FO: Did TMJ give you any specific target to achieve in 2017?
HB: He didn’t give me any specific target. But he did mention that we have to qualify for the AFC Champions League 2017. That’s our goal this year. And to defend our Super League title as well.
FO: Would you consider becoming an actor in future? You seemed very comfortable acting in the JDT jersey launch video!
HB: Hahaha! No, not really, I have no plans to branch into acting. I only tried my best in front of the camera and did what I had to do!
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