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President Tharman beats Hassan Sunny in penalty shootout for charity
Tharman. Chance. Goal.
By
Daniel Seow
October 07, 2024, 04:40 PM
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam defeated former Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny in a penalty shootout on Oct. 6.
This was during a light-hearted segment of the President's Challenge Night 2024 fundraiser, formerly known as the President's Star Charity.
President Tharman was tasked to take five penalty kicks against Hassan in a mini-sized goal onstage.
The audience was asked to donate generously whenever President Tharman scored a penalty or Hassan saved one.
The shootout
In a brief exchange before the shootout, President Tharman said that one could get "frightened" facing Hassan in goal.
The former national team keeper was kitted out in his neon green Singapore jersey and goalkeeping gloves.
"So I'll just say, pang (give) chance a bit lah, bro," President Tharman added.
In response, Hassan said, "I think I know where you are going to shoot, sir."
The two were all smiles during the shootout.
President Tharman scored the first goal with a shot into the bottom left, which Hassan got a leg to but couldn't keep out.
His next two shots were saved by Hassan.
President Tharman then scored on the last two kicks to win the contest 3-2.
Many commenters on Instagram complimented President Tharman for his footballing skills.
One recalled that Singapore's ninth president used to be a sportsman in his youth, and played field hockey alongside other sports.
'An idol for all of us'
Following the shootout, President Tharman expressed his admiration for Hassan onstage.
He said that at 40, Hassan is an idol for everyone, not just for his talent, but also for his desire to keep pushing the boundaries.
Hassan played in goal for Singapore for 20 years until he announced his retirement in August.
When asked if he was nervous squaring up against President Tharman, Hassan smiled and said he was "not nervous, just honoured".
"Facing the President was a huge moment and I gave it my all."
Will volunteer at football initiative for disadvantaged youths
In a video shown during a prior segment on the show, Hassan had turned up as a surprise guest at the Tasek Sailors initiative, which aims to empower disadvantaged youths through football coaching and structured mentorship.
The programme was launched by Tasek Jurong, a social service agency that has President Tharman as its patron.
After playing football with the youths at one of their training sessions, Hassan said it was a special moment for him.
"Moving forward, now that I've retired from the national team, I will do this often and go to watch their matches as well, just like how they used to watch me play."
Background
President Tharman's refreshed President's Challenge was launched earlier this year.
Key changes included a shift from a model of one-off funding to longer-term funding of deserving initiatives, and the inclusion of arts and sports as fields for nurturing potential.
Hassan recently announced his retirement from international football in August 2024.
He will continue to play in the Singapore Premier League for Albirex Niigata.
Hassan made his international debut in 2004, and got 115 international caps in a career than spanned two decades.
He was also part of the Singapore squad that won the AFF Championship during the 2004 and 2007 campaigns and a bronze medal at the South East Asian Games in 2007.
Hassan made the news in June 2024 after his 11 saves at the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers against Thailand helped China advance to the next round.
Chinese fans swarmed his family's nasi padang stall and even transferring money to him via the stall's QR code.
On a trip to Shanghai over the Hari Raya Haji long weekend, Hassan was warmly welcomed by fans there.
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Top image from MediaCorp / Instagram
