KUALA LUMPUR – As the joyous festivities of Chinese New Year envelop families in heartfelt reunions across the globe, national centre-back Dominic Tan once again finds himself separated from his loved ones, dedicating his holiday to the rigorous demands of his football career.
For the second consecutive year, Dominic has chosen to prioritise his commitments to Sabah FC over personal celebrations, forgoing traditional gatherings and cherished moments with his family.
This year, instead of indulging in customary festivities, Dominic will embark on a journey with his fellow teammates to Temerloh for a crucial Malaysia Cup semifinal match against Sri Pahang FC on February 2.
The first leg of the semifinal, which took place on January 18 at Stadium Likas, saw Sabah draw 1-1 with the Elephants. The last time Sabah reached the Malaysia Cup final was in 2003, when they lost the title to MPPJ Selangor FC.
Speaking to Scoop, Dominic expressed the bittersweet sentiment of missing out on cherished family time year after year. However, he underscored his unwavering dedication to his profession, emphasising his commitment to advancing his football career.
“Deep down, I do miss the times when I’m not spending time with my family, because we only get to meet once a year in my hometown of Penang and with some of my family members in Singapore.
“I miss my mother’s cooking the most, as she would usually prepare some of the best cuisines for our reunion dinner.
“I also miss the great times interacting with my family, but that’s the life of a footballer. We have to sacrifice festive seasons when it matters the most for our team.
“Personally, I want to use this year’s Chinese New Year to keep myself in shape and help my team achieve success by defeating Pahang and securing a spot in the Malaysia Cup final. It’s been a while since our team last qualified for the final of the tournament, and I want to gift it to our fans.
“I have been training vigorously for the match, and I want to get the job done first. After that, we also have to stay focused for our upcoming Super League clash against Kuala Lumpur on February 9, and I’m aiming to do my best to keep the team strong in the league.
“Once I have my day off, I will definitely visit my family and spend some time with them,” Dominic told Scoop when contacted.
The 27-year-old Dominic, who joined Sabah in 2022, has so far made 37 appearances for Harimau Malaya since 2019.
Meanwhile, Dominic’s teammate Damien Lim hopes that his Chinese New Year wish of being under newly appointed national team head coach Peter Cklamovski’s radar will come true.
For that to materialise, the 28-year-old goalkeeper believes that he has to give 100% in his performances for Sabah this season.
“I have been in several national team squads under different head coaches over the years, and I’m excited about coach Cklamovski’s new national team setup. I’ve been putting in a string of good performances, and I hope to continue improving in the coming matches so that I can be on his radar.
“He’s a visionary coach, and I would love to play under him. Perhaps by qualifying for the Malaysia Cup final with Sabah, I feel I may have a better chance of representing Harimau Malaya more often this year.
“It’s sad that I will be missing my Chinese New Year celebrations this year, together with Dominic, Daniel Ting, and Darren Lok, but I will make sure that the sacrifice will be worth it by giving my best in our crucial semifinal match against Pahang,” said Damien.
Damien also has the experience of donning the iconic black and yellow jersey for the national U-23 team. He made his debut for Harimau Muda in a 1–1 draw against Australia in 2019 and was also selected for the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship qualification and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. – January 29, 2025
