SUPARMAN | #KaranganBolaSepak
SUPARMAN | #KaranganBolaSepak by Shahrazad Sani
Look up in the sky,it's a bird it's a plane it's superman.
Only my superman was gracing the football field in the once glorious Stadium Shah Alam for the one true king of Malaysian Football, Selangor.
The year was 1999, I had never set foot in a stadium before and you can imagine what a majestic feeling that was.
Attending your first football match.
For the life of me, I can't remember the date, whether or not if it was a league or a cup game nor the opposition but what i can recall was the atmosphere.
Selangor was a dominant force back then, and they were struggling the whole match so que the furor of the red giant army.
My uncle who brought me to that game spoke this one line which I hold dear to this day, "This is what real football is all about"
As the match wore on, i saw this figure warming up, not that towering or imposing but he was silky smooth with the ball.
Little did I know that he was a lethal finisher in the box, a man of steel, Rusdi Suparman.
He saved Selangor's blushes that day, might even have scored a Hat-trick from the bench but most importantly he changed my life.
They way he took the game was breathtaking, stuff i only saw the original Ronaldo do ,during the 98 World Cup.
I was in awe to say the least.
Since then my love for Selangor grew tenfold, all because of one man showing what it meant to wear that red and yellow jersey.
Rusdi was a role model on and off the pitch, none of the fancy stuff and far from that lifestyle of the rich and famous.
Those values made me respect the man even more even though his impact for the team were as a Super Sub
Once he ended his playing career, he went into coaching and is now serving Selangor football with their no 2 team.
How lucky for all those young players to have such a model pro around them, I just hope they learn from him.
In the world of Superman, Pulitzer prize journalist Lois Lane wrote about that time when she met the last son of Krypton.
Difference was mine is a reality.
One fine afternoon last year at their training facility in SUK Shah Alam when i heard this voice calling me by my name.
Turned around and it was the man himself, Mr Suparman, I was like a schoolboy for a moment with flashbacks of that memory back in 99.
Imagine the man who inspired me to become a sports journalist knows who I am, I could have died that day and transcend to football heaven.
We shook hands like gentlemen, converse for a while like we've known each other our entire lives and ended with an embrace from a kid to his hero.
It's not everyday when you can tell the whole world your Suparman, knows you.
And because of him, football is forever in my blood.
Note from padangbolasepak.com: During the Restriction Movement Order 2020 Malaysia to combat Covid19 - Padangbolasepak.com encourages you from home to write essays about our beloved game of football. Can be anything. Why you fell in love with it? Your first game watching or playing? Friendships forged? Etc. Stars the limit.
500-1,000 / more words.
The objective is simple. Sharing the joy of football. Challenge you to write about the joy you may want to share. As well as keep you occupied and encourage to write. Provided that you have nothing else to do. Email us your essay with a photo attached at contact@padangbolasepak.com & we’ll post on the website as well on social media.
Thank you and take care brothers and sisters.