OPINION
FMT
July 18, 2020 8:00
AM
KUALA LUMPUR: Two
former Kuala Lumpur FC players have gone from cooking up a storm on the
football pitch to owning a container restaurant selling fish head curry.
Ex-City skipper and
defender P Saravanan and midfielder Shahul Hameed looked for another challenge
to tackle and are now calling the shots at Kari Kepala Ikan Shahul in Cheras.
Hard times needed
them to think out of the box, so the old friends decided to convert a cargo
container into a restaurant and plop it on 1/199, Taman Bukit Hijau, Taynton
View.
Saravanan, 47, lost
his sole source of income when he had to abruptly close his 12-year-old
football academy due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shahul, also 47,
was looking for a food business opportunity after selling his restaurant to
help his son, Ash, achieve his dream of becoming a top footballer.
Fate brought the KL
youth teammates together and they set their plan in motion with a capital of
RM60,000.
They decided to do
fish head curry and biryani rice besides other street fare. The food is
prepared by a hired cook and Shahul’s relatives.
Saravanan said they
opened for business on June 24 and due to a surge in patrons operate from
7am-midnight.
It has become a
meeting place for their former teammates and other sportsmen, he added.
“It’s hard work but
these are difficult times and we have to double up on our efforts just as we
did on the pitch,” said Shahul, who played for the KL Razak Cup and the
national Under-18 teams in the late 80s.
“Nothing comes easy
and we will focus on the business and hopefully expand it,” said Shahul whose
playing career ended prematurely in 1991 due to injuries.
Saravanan said he
was glad business was picking up as it proved that hard work does bring
rewards.
He said he was
disappointed that footballers were selling their winner’s medals to overcome
hardship, referring to star players Khalid Jamlus and Jamsari Sabian, who
recently caused a stir when they parted with their prized memorabilia.
Saravanan hopes to
restart his football academy at Cochrane Road now that contact training is
allowed under the Covid-19 recovery movement control phase.
Tony Mariadass
Ex-footballers
venture into Kari Kepala Ikan business
Hard times needs one to think out of
the box and be innovative.
That’s exactly what two former Kuala
Lumpur footballer players, ex-youth player Shahul Hameed and former city team
skipper, P. Saravanan, did when they opened a Kari Kepala Ikan restaurant, but through a container cabin concept
in Cheras last month.
The 47-year-old Saravanan has been
running youth football academy – Kelab Bolasepak Pro Harimau Remaja - since
2008, but the Covid 19 pandemic saw his centre closed since March 19 and lost
his sole source of income.
Shahul, also 47, was looking for a
food business opportunity after earlier he had to sell of his food business
restaurant to relatives as he was concentrating to assist his third son – Ash –
to achieve his dreams to become a footballer.
“I was already looking for another
business to supplement my income with football academy. And when Covid 19
crippled my football academy and became desperate to look for another avenue to
earn some money,” said Saravanan who played centreback for the KL Youth team
(1990 -1995) and KL M-League team from 1996-1999.
“I had seen this site earlier and was
impressed with the container cabin concept. There was a restaurant called ‘Big
Sam Curry House’ being run here.
“I spoke to the owner early this year
as I heard he was looking for someone to take over the business. But when Covid
hit us, I decided, I will pursue the business.
“But I wanted to change the concept
and Shahul, who was my youth teammate and whom was running his father’s food
business and later his owner, was the first person that came to mind.
“We met and discussed and decided
that we will do Kari Kepala Ikan and Nasi
Beryani as our speciality, besides the other normal Mamak food.
“We pooled our resources together and
made the previous owner a sleeping partner and refurbished the place and had to
fork out a start capital of RM60,000.
“And we opened for business on June
24, initially from 11am to 10pm and now midnight. But because of popular demand
from residences in this area who wanted us to serve breakfast too, we now open
from 7.00am.”
Shahul said when Saravanan approached
him, it was timely as he was looking for a business.
“It is hard work, but although we are
still in our early days, business is reasonably good and we thank many of our
footballer friends and other contacts for supporting us,” said Shahul who played
striker or left midfielder for Selangor Piala Rahman and Razak Cup in 1988
before moving to play for the KL Razak Cup 1989.
He also played for the national
Under-18 team under M. Karathu before he was injured. He laid off for year and
returned to train with Asian Schools tournament in 1991 but another leg injury
saw his career end prematurely.
“I then helped out my father’s stall
business from 1991, got married and then started my own restaurant after that,”
said Shahul who has five children.
“Then my son, Ash, showed interest in
football and was very talented left footed striker. I decided to take him to
England in 2008 as a 13-year-old and with very little knowledge of how to go
about things, tried to get him to join Arsenal football academy.
“But not making much headway, I came
back with my son. But I went back the following two years later and managed to
get him into the QPR training programme as a 15-year-old for two years.
“He was even offered a scholarship,
but ran into hitches when he did not attain study visa and finally returned
back to Malaysia again.
“I would have spent easily RM100,00,
but he went to play local football with Real Mulia FC (Pahang), Kelantan and KL,
before injury forced him out of the game. He now a national Teqball player.”
Both Shahul and Saravanan said that
they are glad that their business is picking up and it only shows that if one
is willing to work hard and even venture to new areas, the rewards will be
there.
“We now hear of players wanting to
sell football medals and their golden boot because they are going through a
hard patch. I still have my medals won during my school days. These are all
prized possessions,” said Saravanan who had a short stint with the national
team too in 1991 and has a FA Cup winners medal with KL in 1991 when he
skippered the team.
Saravanan said he will continue to
have his academy and will operate again when contact training is allowed next
month.
Right now, both Shahul and Saravanan have
their hands full with their new business at 1/199, Taman Bukit Hijau, Taynton
View, Cheras.
No comments:
Post a Comment