He might not be able to cook but Luqman Hakim Shamsudin does have a knack for laundry as he has been living apart from his parents in Kota Baru since the age of 12.
A five-year contract with Belgian first division side KV Kortrijk may land the lad in unchartered territories but his parents, Hasmah Che Soh and Shamsudin Mahmood believe the 17-year old is capable of taking care of himself.
“He’s been living away from us since he was 12 and he rarely comes back. Whenever we think about him, we would visit him,” said Hasmah yesterday.
“Whenever he comes back on holiday, he won’t sit still at home because he needs to look for a field nearby. Our home in Kota Baru is close to a sports complex. He takes it upon himself to work out and all we do is to encourage him.”
Hasmah admitted she and her husband are concerned about Luqman going away to Europe but said their youngest of six children has always had a competitive streak and will strive to do better in everything that he competes in.
“When he was eight, he was in a competition in Kota Baru but he didn’t win. When he failed to do so, he cried,” she said.
“We are concerned about him but we want him to be strong. We encourage him to learn English because if he doesn’t do that, it will be tough for him to interact with others.”