Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny donates part of money from China fans to Muhammadiyah Welfare Home
Hassan Sunny presenting a S$10,000 cheque to Muhammadiyah Welfare Home's Head of Home, Rahmatunnisa Abdul Majeed on Jul 2, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Try Sutrisno Foo)
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SINGAPORE: Lions goalkeeper Hassan Sunny on Tuesday (Jul 2) donated S$10,000 of the money he received from Chinese football fans to Muhammadiyah Welfare Home, weeks after becoming an unlikely football hero for helping keep China's World Cup hopes alive.
Hassan became an overnight celebrity in China after his heroics in the Singapore-Thailand World Cup qualifier helped China advance to the final round of the Asian qualifiers.
Grateful Chinese fans thronged Dapur Hassan, his family's food stall in Tampines, and transferred money to the stall's Alipay account, after netizens circulated photos of its payment QR code online.
Hassan told journalists that he made the decision to donate the money shortly after the qualifiers. "It was when I returned back to Singapore after the Thailand-Singapore game in Bangkok," he said.
"I sat down with my family when I realised, actually, this is not my money. It's a donation and I think what I can do with this is just to give back to the community."
The Lions footballer declined to disclose how much he received in total.
The money will be added to a fundraiser that the home is organising as part of a charity fiesta in end-August. Funds collected will go towards running the home.
"We had to be careful - to really think about where I need to donate," said Hassan, a father of four who said he empathises with organisations that look out for childrens' needs.
He added that the decision to donate to Muhammadiyah Welfare Home was an easy one for him.
"I'm not from a well-to-do family, so I do understand the level of difficulty they face. And I feel it's only my duty or responsibility to make such a donation."
The home is a residential shelter for boys aged 10 to 19, who are admitted under a care and protection order, on compassionate grounds or are sent by agencies such as the court or the Ministry of Social & Family Development (MSF).
"It's not easy - if you sit down and listen to their experience, and the boys facing difficulties (such as) issues of not having your own home and a shelter," added Hassan.
He told CNA he also chatted with some of the home's residents, telling them that "everyone has their own dark past, but you shouldn't stray away from being a good Muslim".
"They know it's not easy being here. Sometimes they feel they don't have much of a choice. So I said this is the best place to be at because of the support (the home) gives them. To always see the positives in these kind of situations."
Hassan presented his donation in the form of a cheque to Rahmatunnisa Abdul Majeed, the Head of Home at Muhammadiyah Welfare Home.
The news of Hassan's donation came unexpectedly, Mdm Rahmatunnisa said. "In fact, it was shocking news for us."
"I believe in the spirit of paying it forward," she said. "We have gone through certain patches in our lives. I think this is one example of a deed where you actually make a difference to the life of others."
