When he is not bulldozing his opposition you ll find him at home dozing off at home. ThePapare engaged Navy sports club war machine Bilal Hassen who despite his fearsome demeanor on the field transforms in to the laid back jester of his team when the jersey comes off and the whistle of day to day life blows for play.
To some, the privilege of being a tusker and a household name in Sri Lankan rugby would be more than a hand full. However Bilal not only goes about his duties to the herd with absolute efficiency and dedication to his craft but also is involved in the coaching of national water polo. His dedication to sports could be called near religious as he fondly recalled how whilst still a student of Royal college Colombo a back to back water polo match, a rugby match and again a water polo match on the same day left him hospitalized with a state of “full body exhaustion” Not to mention suffering from a shoulder injury down the road which had him seeking surgery which kept him out of sports until a full recovery.
Driving a “Toyota car and Terios Jeep” Bilal describes himself as being “addicted to his “I Phone” Bilal is currently a Sports Management student in the United states and has yet to finish his final semester once his commitments towards the club season are over.
While Bilal turns out for Navy sports Club, his little brother Hamza turns out of CR. We asked him about the atmosphere at home on the eve of a club encounter, to which Bilal casually added “I tell him I ll be the first to smash his face in” expressing the unique combination of brotherly love and competitive sprit perhaps inherent to the game of the odd shaped ball.
Considering the transition from “being chill” to his “business on the field” Bilal added that he has no specific preparatory ritual instead “I like to joke around and relax. I don’t listen to music to get pumped up or get psyched up; I like to chill until I get on the field”
Bilal also shed some light in to his weight training and workout plan ( setting some curiosities to rest)
“I train hard and do more weights off season. And once the season starts off i relax and focus more on the games” and as far as nutrition is concerned “I eat anything other than for pork… which my friends sometime try to make me eat” added Bilal with a laugh.
The prophetic highlight of the conversation and a testament to good nature came from Bilal’s response to the “Thambi joke” scenario (most often initiated by friends and always kept in good nature)
“ha-ha yeah I get that from my friends sometimes … But I don’t misunderstand or take it the wrong way. After all in Tamil Thambi means little brother! So if at all I join in with them for a laugh”
ThePapare thanks Bilal for this light-hearted contribution. It unlikely to be the last anyone hears of Bilal Hassen and his contribution to Lankan Sports.
PS-And for his female fans – yes he is available.
