Sports Minutes: Ilhan Fandi on becoming a Sailor, spearheading Singapore's attack at the ASEAN Championship and more

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
Sports Minutes with Zia-ul Raushan on MoneyFM 89.3.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (0:05)
MoneyFM 89.3, it's time for Sports Minutes, coming to you from the Lion's Den, ahead of the 2026 ASEAN Championship, Hyundai Cup as they call it. I'm alongside a man who will be carrying the weight of a nation on his shoulders. Lucky for us, he has very broad shoulders, and a very broad smile as well. Ilhan Fandi, welcome to Sports Minutes, how are you feeling?

**Ilhan Fandi** (0:24)
I'm feeling very good, thank you, and first of all, thank you for having me here. I'm just really excited for the tournament ahead.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (0:30)
I joked about your broad smile, it's the most infectious smile I've seen in a room, and I'm sure the listeners will agree as well. Ilhan Fandi, a sailor, how does that feel?

**Ilhan Fandi** (0:39)
I feel really good, I feel really proud, and just happy to be back in Singapore as well.
It's been a long time coming, a lot of negotiations and things like that, of uncertainty as well, but happy to finally solve my club. And yeah, just really excited to start the new journey.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (0:56)
You talk about a lot of interest negotiations going on for a while, right? I heard you speaking to club media, and you said you've never felt this level of interest before. What does that mean?

**Ilhan Fandi** (1:06)
Yeah, I think for a player to feel so wanted is something really special, because it is true what I said, that I'm not going to lie, every two days they're asking for my answer, they're asking for my answer, but obviously it's not as easy as that. I had to have several talks and think about whether this opportunity will be good for me, and at the end of the day, I chose to go to Lion City Sailors, and yeah, just how much they wanted me was really, yeah, I could say it's really pushy, but they got me, so yeah.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (1:36)
Pushy in a good way, some love advice from you as well, right? Let me ask you this, the official announcement came on your mom's birthday as well. I know how much it means to you, that must have been quite special, poetic coincidence almost.

**Ilhan Fandi** (1:46)
Yeah, of course, it's really nice to have my, the official unveiling on my mom's birthday, because obviously I said that my mom and dad mean a lot to me, and whatever my mom has been through is something that I'll always carry for the rest of my life, how strong she is as a woman, and yeah, maybe that's why I play very relaxed, because I know there's so much more crazy things happening than football, so yeah.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (2:09)
And then that little acknowledgement of your father's legacy as well, wearing number 17, perhaps tell me about that.

**Ilhan Fandi** (2:14)
Yeah, I'm always very proud to have my dad's name with me and the family name with me. I think everyone knows that he's very well respected and yeah, he's Singapore's favourite football son, so for me as a son, I just want to carry on the Fandi name and the Fandi family name well with me, and I hope I'm making him proud, and yeah, just something small I can give back is to wear his jersey number, so yeah.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (2:39)
Ilhan, earlier you said in terms of the interest from the sailors, right, you have to wear options and stuff like that, speaking to Straits Times, you said there was interest from many different people. Only right, I asked, who were the clubs that were interested, where from?

**Ilhan Fandi** (2:50)
I'm not going to say exactly the team names, but obviously there are some in Thailand, Europe and in Asia as well. So yeah, these are the three, the main ones, so yeah.

**Zia-ul Raushan** (3:00)
And then I'm guessing Jesus Casas played a big part in you signing for the Lion City Sailors. Have you spoken to him?

**Ilhan Fandi** (3:06)
Yeah, actually before we finalized the deal, he wanted to talk to me and explain what was his plans for me, and I was really happy to hear, because obviously it's good to know that the club really wanted me, but to know from the big boss himself, to know where, what type of role I'll play and how I will fit into the system. And he said that I can play many different positions, and that's what he liked about me, very versatile. And I'm not really like a striker, I can link up and that's what he really liked. And I know he's been watching some of the national team games for quite a bit now. So yeah, and he's coached many top players. And like I said, I'm still wanting to learn and improve. And to have a top coach to improve from I think is amazing for my development as well.