Aleksandar Duric on his remarkable sporting journey and giving back to Singapore

SINGAPORE: More than a decade after ending his professional football career, Aleksandar Duric is preparing for another major sporting assignment.

The former Singapore striker will be one of Team Singapore's two assistant chefs de mission at the Asian Games in Japan, drawing on a sporting career that has taken him from the Olympics to football.

Duric, 56, said his experience as a former athlete could help him support competitors before important events, whether by calming their nerves or helping them focus.

"Myself and my team, who are around me, our job is to support them,” he told CNA.

His new role is the latest chapter in a sporting journey that has spanned more than four decades.

A CHILDHOOD SHAPED BY HARDSHIP

Duric's own sporting journey began thousands of kilometres from Singapore.

Born in 1970, he grew up in Doboj, a small town in the former Yugoslavia – now part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

As a child, he would collect items that could be sold to help his parents.

"Life was rough and tough. It wasn't easy to live because we weren't (a) rich family," he said.

"Next to my house in the village, we had like a big depot of rubbish. Every day after school, we will go look for bottles, papers, metals and sell that, and you make some small money.”

Sport became an important part of his life. He took up kayaking at the age of 12 and excelled at it.

But as conflict engulfed his homeland, Duric found himself in Hungary, unable to return home.

His sporting journey continued despite the upheaval. In 1992, Duric made it to the Olympic Games in Barcelona, representing Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Going to (the) Olympic Games was also quite a journey. Usually Olympians, they go in business class, go with planes. I was one who was stopping the cars and trucks to go halfway to Barcelona," he said.

"I didn't have proper training. I didn't even have proper equipment."

Yet even while competing as a kayaker, football was never far from his mind.

"People used to always tell me, "Oh, Aleks, if you're not in this kayak, you can be a professional football player. And I never forgot that."

FINDING A HOME IN SINGAPORE

That footballing ambition took Duric through Europe, Australia and China, before Singapore eventually became home.

In Singapore, Duric took on a role as a striker, a position he had not played before.

"It took me a while to get used to that … and also coming as a striker and not playing as striker before in my life was also a huge challenge. But I mean, it's all hard work."

Over a 15-year career in Singapore football, Duric won eight top-flight titles and three Singapore Cups and was named Player of the Year three times.

A PROMISE TO GIVE BACK

Before his final professional match in 2014, Duric wrote a farewell letter setting out what he wanted to do next.

“For the rest of my life, I will live another dream. The dream of giving back to the country that has given me so much … And I will now focus on helping Southeast Asian kids fulfil their dreams of playing professional football, scoring goals like I did and have a better life,” he wrote.

Asked how far he had come in keeping that promise, Duric replied: “Probably halfway. More can be done. I remember when I said that.”

His work at the ActiveSG Football Academy has become a major part of that effort.

NURTURING YOUNG FOOTBALLERS

For the past decade, Duric has been helping to develop a young generation of footballers through the academy, where he is principal.

It started with 500 children across five centres in 2016, and now has more than 4,000 participants across 17 centres.

On weekends, Duric can often be found on a football pitch surrounded by children learning the game.

"This is one of my typical Saturdays, Sundays, mornings, and afternoons," he said.

"It's more than football. It's making new friends, getting confident."

This year, the academy also opened girls-only programmes at two centres.

"I'm just one of those passionate guys in this country who want to really help our future kids to become something in the sport. We have a lot of heroes here in Singapore who are doing (a) similar and good job," he said.

"Helping so many kids play football, having this kind of dream to become like myself, dreaming to be football players, it's a great achievement."

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