Hannif Hosang Shines!

WESTERN BUREAU:

When Hannif Hosang began speaking as an 11-month-old baby, according to his mother, the first word he uttered from his lips was football. That, indeed, was fate in the making, as currently, he is the top under-15 goal-scorer for the parish of Trelawny.

Now 12 years old, Hosang is a student at the Falmouth All-Age School, where he is ranked as the most outstanding athlete at the school in both football and athletics. He has won several championship titles within Trelawny, which has made him into a local celebrity.

He is the current Under-15 champion boy in football and also stands unbeaten in the 100m and 200m races at the Trelawny District Association Athletics Championships.

"Hannif is the most outstanding boy I see in sports right now for the parish of Trelawny. When it comes to speed and endurance, he is by far the best. He emerged top boy for the parish at the District Association championships last year and he is the current top Under-15 goalscorer for Trelawny," his school teacher and coach, Daneil Fisher, told Western Focus.

But what has inspired Hosang, to be so driven to do well in sports?

"Athletes earn a lot of money, and I want to help my mom live a better life. I want to pay back her students' loan, and I want to put her in a mansion," Hosang explained.

His mother, Stacey-ann Ainsley, said she could not be more proud of her son. Ainsley, herself, is also an inspiration to her children, being that she is a single mother working as a craft vendor in Falmouth to raise her two sons, while also studying for a bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Technology.

"I know Hannif will go far. In fact, I would love for him to get a scholarship to further his education, and then, eventually move on to play for the Manchester United team, which has been his dream since he was five years old. He tells me he wants to take care of me when he becomes a big sporting star, and already I am seeing signs of that. Sometimes, he walks down to the market and buys me a blouse or a pair of slippers, just to show his love," she said.

Hosang maintains his physical strength by sticking to a diet of mainly fruits and vegetables, along with wholesome drinks such as milk. He does not like eating sweets, a revelation Ainsley made to Western Focus, stating, "he constantly tells me, 'mommy that is not the food for athletes".

Off the field, Hosang is an avid reader. He is currently studying to sit his upcoming Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) exams, where he hopes to gain a pass to attend Cornwall College, the school of his first choice.

Locally, his sporting heroes are Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and international sprint star Usain Bolt. His dream is to one day score a goal on Ricketts and outrun Bolt in a race at both the 100 and 200metres.