Written by: Khalis Rifhan

Singapore football team are making a bid to convince the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) for a ticket to the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon and one of the team’s pillar is Warriors FC custodian Hassan Sunny, who has been included in the squad for a friendly against Bahrain by coach Bernd Stange.

Hassan is no stranger to the national set-up and has been a mentor to several national goalkeepers including LionsXII’s Izwan Mahbud and those from the Under-23 (U23). The Warriors number one is a regular for the national coaches who see him as a leader to guide those coming up the ranks.

“Hassan is a good player and is a regular starter for the national team and I think he will be for some time to come. He is also a fantastic role model for Singapore footballers,” said Warriors coach Alex Weaver.

“He is an epitome of professionalism and I genuinely hope players in Singapore look at Hassan and see his professionalism and dedication to the game; his commitment to conditioning and lifestyle and use that in a positive way,” added the former Stoke City Academy youth coach.

Although it is not the national squad that is travelling up to Bahrain, Hassan was nevertheless included for the trip as one of the five overage players in a predominantly U23 team. Hassan had previously travelled with the U23 to play France U21 in Reunion Island on 2 June 2014.

In July, Hassan was also away on national duty to Austria for a two-and-a-half-week training stint. But that does not bother Weaver who feels that Hassan will be a valuable asset for the national set-up.

“He gets excellent training with the national team and I have every faith in what the they do with our players when they go over there. So Hassan will be well adapted and we will get him back when those games are finally over,” explained Weaver.

The result of the match will be compiled along with the match results obtained by the Under-23 national team this year, as part of Football Association of Singapore’s submission to SNOC for a place in the Team Singapore contingent that will be competing in the Asian Games from 19 September to 4 October 2014.

The match on 5th August will be played at Al Ahli Stadium in Bahrain, with kick-off scheduled for 1930 local time (6 August 2014, 0030 Singapore time).