Player Profile: Mohammad Tofiq, Hong Kong 2009
Posted on 13/09/2009
The player son of Pakistani immigrants is representing Hong Kong in this year's Homeless World Cup in Milan.
The twenty year old boy was born and raised in Hong Kong. Mohammad used to play football since he was four years old. He claims football has always been one of his passions but he stopped playing when he started hanging out with chinese gangs. At 16 years old he was already addicted to drugs like hashish and "ice" and was rarely seen sleeping at home. Mohammad neglected his studies and was frequently involved in fights.
He decided to quit drugs when he was offered to become part of a local tournament that gave players the chance to travel to Milan and represent their country. One of the requirements of the program was to quit drugs. To Mohammad it was hard quitting because his friends used to consume drugs right in front of him. He decided to stop frequenting the gang and to train intensely. "It was very tough but I had the goal to make it to the Homeless World Cup".
From his experience prior to the arrival to Milan, " I got the visa the exact same day of the flight so I had to fly after the team. Not only that, I also had to do transit in Zurich and I didn't have a Swiss visa so I had to buy it. On my late night arrival to Milan I was informed that I left my luggage in Zurich. I was mad but all I could do was to laugh it off", says Mohammad.
Mohammad is loving the experience of the HWC because it made him realize that football made him abandon his bad habits. He claims Hong Kong is a very busy city and people are constantly working even on their free time. The fact of having 500 people sharing the love for football makes Mohammad feel like a child. The HWC demostrates that football can improve peoples life and communication skills in a fun way. The player currently works as a chef in a restaurant in Hong Kong but he aspires to be a football coach for young kids.
Cynthia Guzman Tamares
