Vanda Sports signs job deal with 20-year-old Courts Young Lions skipper
Jun 04, 2011
Now, Hariss Harun (picture) hopes to break new ground and open up a route for other young Singapore footballers.
The Sports and Wellness Management graduate from Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) will start work in Vanda Sports' marketing department after the national under-23 team return from their training tour to Sydney (June 8-15).
Speaking to MediaCorp yesterday, the Courts Young Lions skipper said: "I'm very excited and looking forward to it. I'm going to go back to juggling two things again, but this time with Vanda in the real world of sports marketing.
"The fact that I'll be using what I studied at Vanda means I will gain invaluable experience.
"I hope I'll be able to give them as much as they are giving me."
The agreement with the sports marketing company will allow Hariss time off for training and matches for his club, and will also meet national team requirements.
The 20-year-old is still waiting to know if he will be allowed to defer his National Service (NS) in view of November's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, but Vanda is committed to keeping the player after he completes his NS.
"We're not hiring Hariss Harun the footballer, we're hiring someone who has qualifications that are relevant ... and elite athletes generally bring characteristics that you would want in successful business: The dedication to a cause, the consistency, the willingness to improve on a daily basis, the competitive spirit," said Vanda's chief executive Ian Mullane, who declined to reveal the financial details of the deal.
"If we can promote it as an outlet, I think in the longer term we can see the benefits ... when Hariss' football career is over in 10, 15 years, hopefully Vanda is something he'll look back on and maybe still be a part of."
The company already have national boxer Mohammed Ridhwan Ahmad in their books.
Ridhwan became the first Singaporean to venture into the SEA Games boxing ring in 14 years when he flew the Republic's flag at the Vientiane Games in 2009.
They have also hired another boxer, Michelle Thavasi and former Singapore softball player Ivy Lim.
Ridhwan has worked for Vanda for the last 12 months while still in NYP's Sports and Wellness programme and training for his second shot at the SEA Games in November.
"Ridhwan has been a phenomenal success for us - we've been able to allow him to balance his academic needs with his sport and work ... And why not look at giving Hariss the same opportunity," added Mullane.
Vanda have recently signed agreements with the Singapore Polo Association, Asean Basketball League side Singapore Slingers as well as Extreme World Races, and Hariss will be working on these projects, including getting involved with Vanda's football community projects and its social and digital media ventures.
Courts Young Lions team manager Eugene Loo is delighted with the development.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for an athlete to be groomed to be involved in the off-the-field side of sports, and we hope Hariss can be a flagbearer of sorts," he said.
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