SINGAPORE, Jan 31 — Local football icon Aleksandar Duric launched his 245-page autobiography titled Beyond Borders yesterday (Jan 30). In it, he documents his early struggles as a young athlete in Eastern Europe, and how he used sheer determination and steely will to work hard to succeed.

And succeed he did, enjoying a distinguished sporting career — highlights of which include representing Bosnia and Herzegovina in canoeing at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, winning eight S.League championship titles and three Singapore Cups, and scoring 24 goals in 53 appearances for the Singapore national football team.

And judging from the following extracts from his book, he may soon add best-selling author as the latest feather to his cap.

It wasn’t love at first sight with Singapore…

My god, it was hot! I’d never felt anything like this, the humidity was thick and oppressive…I wondered how anyone could survive in this heat, much less do any activity.

…Or the S.League

We pulled up at Queenstown Stadium and at first I thought there had been some kind of misunderstanding. I noticed the lumpy grass pitch and the sad-looking terraces. I had to move to get out of the way of some elderly aunties strolling round the athletics track on their evening jog. The players were just finishing their training session and (Tanjong Pagar general manager) Richard took me over to introduce me. He asked me what I thought of the facilities. “Well, Richard, I guess it’s not too bad for a training pitch. But where is the main stadium where we play our games? Is it far from here?”

Richard looked at me quizzically, trying to figure out if I was joking or not. Some of the players couldn’t stop laughing. When Richard realised that I was being serious he said, “Aleks, this is the stadium.”

His father’s lack of support when he was young

But rather than give me encouragement or support, my father would sneer, “What are you doing wasting your time on that stupid river? How will you ever earn a living paddling around in a stupid boat?” He was a nasty man at times, but I learned over time not to take such attacks personally…I knew I was going to be something someday.

The abuse he got from his father, an alcoholic

I remember nights when he would punch and kick my mum, screaming at her as he did, the stench of alcohol heavy in the air. If (brother) Milan or myself tried to protect her, he would fling us out of the way.

Fighting in a war

Not a lot of people know I was actually in the (Bosnian) war…This is the first time I’ve ever spoken about it…I went to war because I had to, I didn’t have a choice. And when it came to the crunch, I got myself out.

His warning for Singapore football

Things need to change, and fast. We need people with passion and we need a new vision to save the situation, because if we let Singapore football fail, the consequences are unthinkable. Trust me, it will be missed when it’s gone. — TODAY