S'pore goalie Hassan Sunny reveals great-granddad is Chinese
He also added that his dad looks "a bit like Chinese" while his grandma "looks like a Chinese".
Winnie Li
Singapore national football team goalkeeper Hassan Sunny shared that his great-grandfather is ethnically Chinese, and he attributes his ability to "understand a little bit of Chinese" to his heritage.
Hassan was responding to a media question about online speculation that he looked Chinese during his trip to Shanghai, China, over the Hari Raya Haji long weekend, Lianhe Zaobao reported.
He shared about the ethnicity of his father's grandfather, and about how his family background may have influenced his appearance.
"My dad looks a bit like Chinese, [and] my grandma looks like a Chinese. So, maybe [I look Chinese because] there's a bit of Chinese blood [in me]," he said in English.
Hassan gained popularity in China overnight after he made 11 saves during the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifier match between Thailand and Singapore on Jun. 11, allowing China to advance to the next round to keep its World Cup dreams alive.
Thailand was denied qualification as it had a poorer head-to-head record against China in Group C — China beat Thailand in the Bangkok game in November 2023.
In response, Chinese football fans expressed their gratitude to Hassan by transferring money to his nasi padang stall in Tampines through its QR payment code and by patronising the stall in person.
When Hassan appeared at CapitaLand Malls in Shanghai over the long weekend, he was warmly welcomed by Chinese football fans, with many wanting to take a photo with him or get his autograph.
Has to 'be careful' after overnight fame
During the interview, Hassan also said that ever since he became an internet sensation, he has to be "careful" because whatever he does now or in the future “will be monitored”.Nevertheless, he said it was "nice to have all this recognition", with fans shouting his name wherever he went.
"It's a big surprise for me, but I am loving every bit of everything," added Hassan.
Welcomes Chinese football fans to Singapore
He also shared that his stay and experience in Shanghai had been "lovely", for which he thanked the people of China."I love them as much as they love me," said Hassan.
In another video, Hassan also addressed Chinese football fans who said they would be visiting Singapore to show their appreciation:
New opportunities in China?
On Jun. 14, Hassan was appointed the "Chief Safeguarding Officer" and spokesperson for HTX, a cryptocurrency exchange founded in China, announced Justin Sun, a member of HTX Global Advisory Board on X (formerly Twitter) and Weibo.According to The Straits Times on Jun. 17, the appointment was still "under discussion".
However, when Hassan launched his Weibo account and posted his first video on Jun. 14, he greeted Weibo users with "Da jia hao" ('Hello, everyone' in Mandarin) while wearing an HTX t-shirt.
