• 3 months ago
Brothers Kyen and Tylan Sasikumar are boys from a tiny island with big dreams and the world at their feet.
Transcript
00:00The movement is very important. If you don't move, you can't get the ball.
00:05You have to move your legs 24-7.
00:07The intensity in Spain is a lot higher because of the rhythm of play.
00:15They move more of their body.
00:17They go 100% into the tackle.
00:21I'm Dylan Sasikoma. I'm 11 years old.
00:24I'm a playmaker.
00:25I'm Kian Sasikoma. I play as a striker.
00:28My brother and I are the only Singaporeans in the tactical squad.
00:44It was a dream come true to play in such a big club in Spain.
00:49When I had the trials, I just worked really hard.
00:53I just gave my all on the pitch and they selected me.
00:58Here in Atletico, there's a lot of teams. There are a lot of good players.
01:02If I want to go to the first team, I have to be better than everybody else.
01:05So I knew I had to step up my game to become a professional football player.
01:12I train four times in a week.
01:14On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, I train at Atletico.
01:18But on Wednesday, I train with my brother and my father.
01:29My dad, he's my idol because he works very hard.
01:34He gives 100% in everything.
01:37He inspired me a lot to play football.
01:40If my dad wasn't a football player, I wouldn't have been here playing football.
01:45I'm an ex-professional footballer.
01:47I played over 70 times for Singapore as an international
01:50and 12 years as a pro in various clubs in Asia.
01:55My biggest claim to fame is that I scored the most famous goal for Singapore
01:59many years ago in 1998 during a regional tournament.
02:03As a former professional footballer,
02:05there's always some part of you that wants your kids to carry on your legacy.
02:09I'm always careful that they live their own dreams rather than trying to live my dream.
02:13Thankfully, they have the same love for football.
02:16I can open the doors. They still have to do the work.
02:18And if the club felt that they were not up to scratch,
02:21they will not take on any substandard players.
02:24So I think they've seen something in the players that they want to work with.
02:33The process to get selected in Atletico Madrid is tough.
02:36If you want to play here, you have to be one of the best players
02:40in your position, in your age group, in Europe.
02:46If they are here with us, that means that they deserve to be here.
02:52The technique and the understanding of the game needs to be from the player.
02:56But then we can work with you to make you a better player.
03:02You need to have this aggressiveness, really willing to compete.
03:05I always say that it's not winning the match,
03:08it's winning every single action during the match
03:11that makes you closer to getting the result you want.
03:21The first training that I had in Spain,
03:24I was very nervous and I felt clueless.
03:28I didn't know a single word of Spanish.
03:31And that actually affected me.
03:33Like, people not passing me the ball,
03:36I had to speak in English.
03:38Like, I said, pass, pass.
03:39And they didn't understand.
03:41That's why they didn't pass me the ball.
03:43It took about six months for me to learn Spanish.
03:47I had to take reinforcement Spanish in school.
03:50And that helped me a lot.
03:51And I did a lot of homework.
03:54Now, when I want someone to pass me the ball,
03:56I would say,
03:59It's probably easier for two boys to climb Mount Everest
04:02than come to a club like Atletico Madrid.
04:05Coming from a tiny place called Singapore,
04:07they've been punching above their weight.
04:09And I'm glad that they got this opportunity
04:11to be in a beautiful country, competitive environment,
04:13to do the thing that they love.
04:16When I started playing in the league,
04:18it started to feel real,
04:20because it was very competitive.
04:26I wanted to give up,
04:27but I realised that
04:29if I wanted to become a professional football player,
04:31this is the right place for me to get better.
04:33I want to be the best player in the world.
04:40I imagine every day that I'll play in La Liga.
04:42My parents support me
04:44by going to every training and every game.
04:48I enjoy being at the training,
04:50watching their training,
04:51being there for them,
04:52analysing the training for them.
04:54I have to prepare them,
04:55whether it's technically or mentally.
04:58Our life revolved around the boys' schedules.
05:01So whether it was school, training,
05:03was tournament, was match days.
05:05I don't see it as sacrifice.
05:06I live in Spain, I work in football,
05:08my boys are in one of the top clubs in the world.
05:10What are we sacrificing?
05:13We are not looking for a return on any investment.
05:15With an investment, we can re-empower our boys
05:17to chase their dreams.
05:18And that's it.
05:20Wherever they land, it doesn't matter.
05:22We have channeled our energy
05:23through having this experience as a family.
05:25For us, this is success.
05:30I don't feel pressure because
05:31I know he's proud of me.
05:33For me, he's a hero,
05:34but sometimes he's my dad,
05:36and sometimes he's my coach.
05:38The work is not finished yet.
05:40It's hard to go there,
05:42but it's 100 people there.
05:44Don't give up, keep working.

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