“I want to succeed for my parents” – Kuantan boy chasing Harimau Malaysia dreams
Like many boys his age, Khairul Anuar Bin Norpree dreams of playing for the Harimau Malaya one day. Khairul is currently competing in the 2016 edition of the Allianz Junior Football Camp (AJFC) Malaysia League with his team Sanas Lipis.
The 15 year old who hails from Kuala Lipis has been playing football since he was 10 years old. He has been part of Sanas Lipis since age 12 and also went on to represent Pahang in MSSM in 2015.
His passion for the beautiful game stems from the unconditional support he receives from his parents Norpree Bin Yahayaand Zaitun Binti Muhd. Salleh. But things took a turn for the worse, and Khairul is now more determined to achieve his dreams for his loved ones.
“I want to succeed in football not only because it is my passion, but I want to take care of my parents who have supported and motivated me. My father was paralysed in an accident in 2013 and is now bedridded. He was my pillar of strength and encouraged me in all my games. I want to make him proud of me” said Khairul who is one of the 234 teenagers who are taking part in the Allianz Junior Football Camp 2016 East Coast region in Kuantan.
Photo Credit: cemano.de
The AJFC Malaysia League kicked off early this month. On 9 April 2016, the League’s East Coast Region competition got underway at Padang Majlis Perbandaran Kuantan and Kolej Islam Pahang in Kuantan. The six-week league runs at 3 other different locations simultaneously- Central Regions, Northern Region and Southern Region. After the sixth week, the regional selection panel will select the top 18 players from each region to form four regional teams. These teams will then compete in the National Finals at UKM, Bangi on 3 and 4 June 2016. Following the Finals, the top 13 talented players will be selected to attend Asia Camp in Bali, Indonesia from 19-21 July 2016. From the Asia Camp, the best three Malaysian players will attend AJFC in Munich, Germany in 25-30 August 2016.
“I love playing for my team as our semangat (team spirit) is very high. Many of us are not from privileged backgrounds. Our Coach Ramazan Ibrahim, he’s like our second dad. He is always watching over us. He buys us boots, shin pads and other accessories when he sees that ours have worn out. He’s very supportive and is driven to see us succeed,” added Khairul.
“I truly hope I will be selected as one of the top 18 to represent my region in the Finals and hopefully make it all the way to Munich. I hope I can make it big one day so I can help my parents. My aim is to take them on a pilgrimage to Mecca, build them a new house and make enough money so my mother does not need to work. My mother says if you want to succeed you have to work hard as nothing comes easy. And I want to succeed for my parents.”
