SINGAPORE – He was a latch-key kid, who came from an underprivileged family, and lived in a neighbourhood where unsavoury characters often hung out.

As such, Abdul Thaslim Hajanajubudeen always seemed in danger of being led astray and falling through the cracks.

Indeed, when he was 11, Thaslim was already mixing with bad company and skipping school regularly to play football with his friends under the HDB blocks.

However, the turning point for the Queensway Secondary School student came when he joined SportCares Saturday Night Lights (SNL) football programme in 2013.

Being exposed to organised training, and having the opportunity to play on a bigger field in an actual stadium (Jurong Stadium), Thaslim began to dream of a career in professional football.

He was also inspired by the motivational talks that several of the SNL guest coaches, many of whom were current or former professional footballers, would give at the end of the training sessions.

It led to the then-15-year-old to reflect on his life, and decide that a change was needed.

“During my time at the SNL, they often had professional footballers coming down to give talks. They would tell us their life stories and the problems they had to overcome to get to where they are,” Thaslim told TODAY.

“I realised that everyone has their own challenges to face. And they said me that if I don’t change my ways now, when would I change? Even if I have a difficult family background, I should not use that as an excuse.

“So I decided not to waste my life and time any more. I decided to concentrate on things that could lead me to becoming a better person and bring me somewhere in life, like football and my studies.”

But while football gave Thaslim, who has a younger brother and sister, a dream to aspire towards, he soon realised that his ability in the sport was limited. That was when he was introduced to another of SportCares’ initiatives — the CareRunners programme.

It was here that Thaslim’s true sporting talent emerged. He discovered that he was a natural on the track, as he blossomed under the guidance of national coach G Elangovan.

“After playing in the SNL for a year, a SportCares coach told me that he saw that I had a lot of potential as a runner and invited me to join the CareRunners programme,” said Thaslim, 18.

“I’ve always done well during my school’s cross-country runs, and I decided to give it a shot because I like sports. While the training was tough, I also found it very interesting and I decided to focus more on running after finding that I was quite good at it.”

Now a House Captain at Queensway Secondary, Thaslim has made encouraging progress on the track. For example, he shaved three seconds off his personal best time in the 800m in just one year, when he clocked 2min 5secs in the event at this year’s National School Track and Field Championships.

And just like any athlete, Thaslim, who counts national marathoner Soh Rui Yong as his role model, aspires to represent Singapore on the international stage.

But achieving that dream will not come easy for Thaslim, especially after his younger sister, who was born deaf and with a heart condition, was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago.

The additional medical expenses have put an added toll on his family’s already stretched finances, and Thaslim has had to work several part-time jobs to help out with the household expenses.

Admitting that it has been tough juggling his work commitments, studies and training, and helping to look after his sister, Thaslim is aware that he might never reach his full potential or achieve his goal of being a national athlete.

But he does not plan to stop trying. “Every person needs a goal, and my goal is to represent Singapore in running,” he said.

“But at the same time, I have a family that I need to help support, so I can’t always train every day.

“I need to take care of my sister, go to work, and study as well. I want to become a national athlete, but because of these hurdles, it’s a bit hard, and I definitely still need more support. But I’m going to remain optimistic and try my best to achieve my dream.

“Maybe in future when I earn a higher income, I will have more time to train and become a better runner, and hopefully achieve my dream of representing Singapore.”

Despite his busy schedule, Thaslim still actively volunteers with SportCares.

“Volunteering makes me feel good because I’m giving back to community,” he explained.

“I hope to make an impact on others and make a positive difference in society. I’ve benefited immensely from the SportCares programme, so it’s now my turn to give back. I’ve also learnt through volunteering and it has helped built my character.”

Thaslim’s next running event will be the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay, which will take place at The Promontory @ Marina Bay on Oct 27.

It will be his third time participating in the relay. Last year, he clocked a lap time of 5mins 2secs to help his 10-man SportCares team finish sixth in a total time of 55mins 49secs. This year, he hopes to lead his team to a top-five finish.

“I’m looking forward to the race, because I’m a middle distance runner, and so a mile (1,600m) is the perfect distance for me,” said Thaslim. “I will do my best again this year and try to help my team improve on our performance.

“Our aim is to finish in the top-five, and I’m sure if everyone gives their all, we can do it.”