During a 2007 football match against DPR Korea at the old National Stadium, 16-year-old Hariss Harun was sent onto the field as a substitute. He holds the record as our youngest debutant in international football to date.
The incontrovertible prodigal son of Singapore football, Harun went on earn numerous accolades and captaincy at LionsXII and Johor Darul Ta’zim F. C. But while his appointments change as seasons do, his leadership values always remain the same.
“The main role of a captain is to be available for help and advice,” says the 32-year-old. “On the pitch, it involves ensuring strategy and gameplay are optimised. Off the pitch, it is being a middleman between the players and management. This requires a fair bit of juggling to ensure a favourable outcome for all.”
Three years ago, injured and enduring unprecedented times during the pandemic, he found himself ruminating over his future—“not just mine, but also my family’s, especially with three young children”. This led to a decision to pursue a bachelor of arts in business and marketing at PSB Academy and Coventry University.
As such, Harun is now not only a footballer and father, but also a full-time student. Although his training schedule is not fixed, practice takes place almost daily. He attributes the juggling of his commitments to compartmentalising, particularly when some days start at 6am and end at 10pm.
But his pursuit of higher education isn’t just for his own sake. In a way, it’s also for our nation’s.
“Playing is not something I intend to stop anytime soon, but I want to eventually further my career in the industry through the management and commercial aspects.”
Hariss Harun on the next stage of his career
His goal, he adds, is to enrich the current climate of the sport here. This includes passing his know-how to the next generation and bringing Singapore football to the international stage.
A straight shooter, Harun acknowledges that Singapore football has hit a plateau. “As with life, there are ups and downs in football. Right now, we’re experiencing a down. It is something we need to be honest about,” he summarises. Nevertheless, the star athlete is hopeful and foresees great advancement with the allocation of key resources.
“This includes nurturing our youths mentally, physically, and technically. Providing them with the best platform, skills, and qualities will give them the best shot at success. If we can do that, we may just see a player from Singapore playing in bigger leagues such as the English Championship one day.”
His advice to aspiring athletes? Be prepared to make plenty of sacrifices from a young age, especially when academic mastery typically supersede sporting proficiency in Singapore.
“If you want to pursue this career, you have to be disciplined in terms of time management, training, and how you take care of your body,” he says. “More importantly, you must be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses.”
He anticipates the development of a wider sporting culture, not just among athletes, but also among the general public. In his opinion, people would enrich their lives if they took up different sports and augment the nonacademic culture.
“With this, I hope our youths will see sports as a viable career option. Eventually, we will be able to produce Olympic and World Cup medalists.”
Art director: Chia Wei Choong
Photographer: Mun Kong
Photographer’s assistant: Hizuan Zailani
Videographer: Alicia Chong
Makeup: Keith Bryant Lee using Bobbi Browbn
Hair: Christvian Goh using Keune Haircosmetics
