(Photo courtesy of Khair Rizauddin)

 

SINGAPORE, 21 SEPTEMBER 2020 – When he received news that he had been offered a place in the programme of his dream, Muhammad Khair Muhammad Rizauddin’s mind was set and nothing could deter him from it.

 

The 29-year-old has been accepted into the FIFA Master – International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport programme under the International Centre for Sports Studies. The one-year postgraduate sports executive programme is aimed at providing participants an understanding of the social and cultural aspects of sports worldwide as well as equipping them with the necessary management skills in a global sporting environment.

 

Khair, who has also been offered the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) scholarship, shared: “My background in sport combined with love for travel makes this the dream postgraduate programme for me.

 

“A major reason why I love to travel, apart from being able to meet new people and testing myself to go outside of my comfort zone, is to gain fresh perspectives about different cultures, languages and experiences,” he added. “Of course the subject matter itself is interesting to me… How sport creates an impact and is invariably intertwined with society, the commercialisation and globalisation aspects, the role of ethics as well as the governance of sport are all concepts that I would like to delve deeper into during my time in the programme.

 

“The course ticked all the boxes so it was an easy decision to apply and eventually accept the offer.”

 

Khair’s journey in sports began when he joined Home United’s football academy (now known as Lion City Sailors football academy) at the age of 10. He later represented the club in the Under-16 and 18 categories of local youth competitions – the Centre of Excellence (COE) leagues as well as the COE Challenge Cup.

 

However, while he was not offered a semi-professional contract from his boyhood club, his passion for the game led him to decide to start a new chapter in sports management.

 

After graduating from the Nanyang Technological University with a degree in Sport Science and Management, Khair joined the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) Competitions department where he had the opportunity to be part of the local organising committee for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, AFC Cup 2019 as well as other local and international matches.

 

With the additional experience gained from working in several international sporting competitions during his internship stints, he commented: “These events made my appetite for international sports greater and I believe the programme will allow me to develop the ability to think globally and anticipate potential challenges.”

 

Looking forward to the start of the programme, Khair is thankful for the support the FAS has given him and hopes to play a bigger role in the organisation after he returns from his year-long sabbatical.

 

“The senior management at FAS have really supported me in this venture and played major roles in my successful application for the programme and the AFC scholarship,” he said. “I am looking forward to apply what I have learnt in the programme and contribute more in my role at the FAS.”

 

“Having grown up through the system here in Singapore, it is my wish to provide young players with the same opportunities I had through football. I hope to develop myself to the stage where I can be in a position to influence change and leave behind a legacy for Singapore football one day.”