The name N.Thanabalan has made everyone going crazy in the past few days. His captivating performance in the last 2 group games in this year’s SEA Games has caught the attention of both football fans and the public. Coming into the tournament as one of the favourites, N.Thanabalan has proved that Malaysia is a force to behold. But, what truly captured our attention was N.Thanabalan’s life and action off the field. Here’s 5 reasons why he deserves our respect:
The sole breadwinner
In 2013, N.Thanabalan became the sole breadwinner of his family after his father became paralysed from chest down following a devastating road accident. The striker who was only 19 during this time was coming through the ranks as a promising youth player. N. Thanabalan has always said his motivation to play harder and stronger is to bring up his family. (Source: The Star)
A family man
In an interview with The Star dated 18 June 2017, the national youth striker stated he had to switch to play for Negri because he needed to earn more money as he had to support his family. He reiterated he had to make the switch for his family’s wellbeing. (Source: The Star)
A man on a mission
N.Thanabalan is a man of a mission and the mission is to win the Gold Medal. Not wanting to be carried away, N.Thanabalan has called the in-form Malaysian team to stay focus and execute their plan. (Source: Goal.com)
A composed and level-headed player
The nippy striker has remained level-headed by refuting any comparisons made by Malaysian fans. N.Thanabalan has rubbished all claims by stating he is nowhere near to the standards of Rooney or Mueller. (Source: NST)
Teamwork is everything
With his goalscoring exploits gaining much attraction from football fans recently, N. Thanabalan has credited all his success to his teammates. The young striker acknowledged without his team, he wouldn’t be able to score the goals. (Source: Goal.com)
Krup Krap 