JOSEPHIAN ANNUAL 2016 • ROLL OF HONOUR 17
SJIOBA Sportsman of the Year
MAHLER JACOB WILLIAM ( ML 402 )
Mahler Jacob William joined SJI from Teck Ghee Primary School in 2013 . A natural athlete blessed with good dexterity and height , he represented the school in basketball with distinction . From a very young age , his interest in football also led to him to be involved with football academies such as the Brazilian Soccer School and the JSSL Arsenal Soccer School . His footballing abilities were recognised early on , leading to his enrolment in the Junior Sports Academy ( Football ) programme with Victoria School , as well as the FAS Junior Centre of Excellence Under-10s team .
Jacob came to SJI through the Direct School Admission ( DSA ) programme and with good PSLE results . We are glad that he chose SJI over the other schools and gave us the opportunity to nurture him and see him grow into a well-respected leader of the SJI Football team .
Since Secondary One , he has risen through the ranks of the various National Football Academy ( NFA ) age group teams and has been training with them regularly , in addition to our own school training . Despite the extra demands placed on him , he has remained balanced and disciplined , consistently doing well in his studies while juggling his commitments .
As a member of the NFA team , he was first invited to train at national level in February 2014 , in preparation for an invitational tournament in Hong Kong . The following year , he started training on a daily basis with the NFA teams . His involvement saw him gain good exposure and experience as the NFA teams went on training tours to Bangkok , Thailand and Osaka , Japan . These eventually led him to represent the country in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the AFF U16 Championship in Phnom Penh , Cambodia .
The coach of the SJI Football team , Mr Kadir Yahaya , has this to say of Jacob , “ He is highly regarded by his team mates who look up to him for guidance and inspiration on and off the field . He is able to drive the team on , constantly striving for excellence and is capable of moments of magic that can make a difference in a game .”
An unassuming and humble person , Jacob goes about his work with quiet determination . He was vice-captain of the ‘ B ’ & ‘ C ’ Division teams and one of those who shone brilliantly in the historic run to the Football finals in 2015 .
Jacob , is a fine example of a Josephian who embodies the ideals of the school , excelling in both sports and studies and yet staying very rooted to the ground , displaying all the qualities we expect from a fine Josephian .
We are sure he will continue to excel in his studies and sports in the years ahead , reaching greater heights and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours .