A juggling act

WHEN you see Ariff Karim juggle a football, chances are you’ll be amazed at the adroitness that this young man effortlessly exhibits. However, he started out with an ambition to kick a ball professionally, not balance it.
In fact, he was once chosen by football reality television show, Super Soccer Star Malaysia to train with Chelsea Football Club. Alas, his small frame proved to be his undoing.
“It was difficult to advance in football because I was tiny, so I wanted a football-related alternative that has an international appeal. Freestyle football fits the bill and since I’m good at juggling a ball, I decided to switch my focus,” the business management student elaborated.
From then on, the 24-year-old dedicated himself to freestyle footballing – spending at least an hour every day to learn, develop, and practise new routines. Armed with his passion, skills, and ambition, Ariff then began to venture abroad to showcase and compete in international tournaments. Among the countries that he has been to are Austria, Brunei, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Singapore, Slovakia and Vietnam.
“My ultimate dream is to travel the world as a freestyle footballer. This is more of a long-term goal than a one-time plan, so I’m working hard to reach my target of 50 countries,” said Ariff.
For those who are in the dark, what is freestyle football?
It is a form of artistic self-expression where you can perform assorted tricks with the ball using any body parts. Freestyle football is not as easy as it looks, you’ll need to go through an intensive training to master it.
Is freestyle football similar to breakdancing?
To a certain extent, yes. In this sport, so long as you can balance the ball, you are given the creative licence to do whatever that you want. Hence, there are some people, such as myself, who like to incorporate breakdancing moves into our routine.
How is freestyle football different from actual football?
The former is more of a showcase where you accomplish tricks with the ball, while the latter is a team effort of trying to win a match by putting the ball into the back of the goal. As such, they’re highly different.
Can you enlighten us as to what the local freestyle football scene is like?
It’s quite a small circle with only two main athletes, including me. I am also the only one who constantly participates in international competitions. However, what I discovered on social media recently is that there are many people who are interested in it and are taking steps to pursue it. Thus, I’d say that the community is slowly taking off.
Since it’s a niche sport in Malaysia, how has the support been?
Frankly, I receive little to no financial backing. Whenever I go for competitions abroad, it is always self-funded. To raise money for these trips, I frequently do paid performances as well as produce my own merchandise to sell.
Considering the challenges that you have to go through, why do you persist as a freestyle footballer?
It is my passion, something that I have always dreamt about, so I can’t give up now that I have the chance to do it professionally. Besides, if you’re only going to do something when people support you, then nothing will be achieved. I believe that one needs to take action first. Therefore, rather than sit around and wait for people to endorse me, I choose to self-fund my endeavour.
TRIVIA
Highest world ranking: 19.
Hometown: Kuala Lumpur.
Competitions joined: 37.
Instagram handle: @ariffkarim.