Azhar Baksin

Azhar Baksin

Personal information
Date of birth	26 November 1976
Place of birth	Singapore
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 ^1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Admiralty
Number	17
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997 - 1999	Tampines Rovers	?	(?)
2000 - 2002	Geylang United	62	(11)
2003 - 2007	Home United	64	(2)
2008 - 2009	Sengkang Punggol	21	(1)
2012 -	Admiralty	12	(3)
National team
??	Singapore	20	(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of July 13, 2012.

Azhar Baksin (born 26 November 1976) is an ex-Singapore international footballer who plays as a midfielder for NFL Division 2 side Admiralty FC.

Apart from his playing duties, he was also appointed as the coach of the Wolves following the departure of former player coach Mohd Noor Ali to Geylang United in June 2012.

Club career

A true veteran, Azhar has played for S.League sides Tampines Rovers,^[1] Geylang United,^[2] Home United^[3] and Sengkang Punggol, before switching over to Admiralty FC during the 2012 NFL Division 2 season.

Azhar scored a goal from the half-way line when he was playing for Geylang United against Woodlands Wellington in 2002, lobbing the ball past Woodlands' custodian Fadhil Salim.^[4] That goal was subsequently nominated for the 2002 S.League Goal of the Season but did not win in the end.

His honours include winning the S.League with Geylang United in 2000, and the S.League and Singapore Cup double with Home United in the 2003 season.

International career

Azhar Baksin was first noted as an outstanding player during a training tour of Thailand for the Singapore national team's reserve squad between 21 and 30 November 1997.^[5] He emerged as the top contender among the up-and-coming footballers, which included Indra Sahdan and Ahmad Latiff Khamaruddin,^[6] for a national team call-up based on his performances during the training tour.

He was called up to the Singapore national team after scoring two goals in Tampines Rovers' 2-0 victory against Gombak United on 21 March 1998.^[7]

Azhar played in the Asian Cup qualifier against a star-studded Japanese team featuring the likes of Shinji Ono and Masashi Nakayama in 2000.

One of his most memorable international goals came in the NTUC Income Challenge Cup in 2002, where he fired home a blistering right-footed volley to lift Singapore to a 2-1 victory over North Korea after coming on as a second-half substitute.^[8]

Azhar's fine form with Geylang United made him a notable replacement for the off-form Mirko Grabovac during the 2002 Tiger Cup.^[9]

He also has the honour of being the first Singapore international to score at the newly constructed Jalan Besar Stadium on 4 March 2003 ^[10] after just 8 minutes^[11] in an international friendly against the Maldives. The match ended 4-1 in favour to the Lions with Indra Sahdan, Syed Fadhil and Fadzuhasny Juraimi getting on the scoresheet for Singapore as well.

References

1. "Tampines vs Marine Castle", The Straits Times, 5 May 1999, Page 47
2. "8-0 ripple effect", Today, 13 December 2001, Page 11
3. "Avramovic drops strike duo as Lions prepare for pre-World Cup campaign", Today - Afternoon Edition, 6 January 2004, Page 46
4. "A football purist", Today, 20 May 2004, Page 51
5. "Rovers' Azhar shines for reserves on Thailand tour", The Straits Times, 28 November 1997, Page 83
6. "The beat goes on for strikers Latiff, Indra", The Straits Times, 28 October 1997, Page 46
7. "Azhar impresses Whitbread", The Straits Times, 21 March 1998, Page 54
8. "Lions stun North Koreans with unexpected victory", Today - Afternoon Edition, 8 February 2002, Page 52
9. "Azhar Baksin joins the team". Football Association of Singapore.
10. "FAS officials gives Jalan Besar Stadium the thumbs-up", Today Paper, 26 February 2003, Page 37
11. "2003 MATCHES, Friendly International, Singapore vs Maldives". Archived from the original on 2012-04-05.