He saw a spark in their eyes when his sons picked up a skateboard for the first time.
So Abdul Rahman did his best to provide a pathway for them to shine.
But the journey was not easy.
Money was the biggest problem in the early stages as he had to fund everything himself.
Seventeen years after he bought them their first skateboard, his sons Firdaus, Feroze and Farris can dream of representing Singapore at the Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee recently announced its approval of five new sports, namely baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Games.
But a local body for the sport has yet to be established.
“The feeling that I get when I see the Singapore flag raised because of my boys, it’s indescribable,” he said, adding that it would be great to see his sons fly the Singapore flag at the Olympics.
“I had to give up many things in the past so that I could afford to send them for their overseas competitions.
“We went for about five trips a year, and if they were to America, the cost could easily reach over $10,000 per trip.”
The trio were recognised for their talent when they participated in international competitions and are currently supported by corporate sponsors Vans, Stance Socks, Red Bull, Billabong and Von Zipper.
Firdaus, 29, the oldest of the trio, is well known in the skateboarding community.
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Regarded as the top skater in the country, he has competed at one of the world’s top skateboarding competitions – the Street League Skateboarding Pro Open in Barcelona last year.
Feroze and Farris have also had their fair share of achievements.
Feroze and Farris secured a one-two finish respectively at the Asian X Games in 2011 in Shanghai, an event equivalent to the quadrennial Asian Games.
“I’m sure the sport will get more exposure now and I hope that people’s impression of it will change,” said Feroze, 26.
“Without an official NSA (National Sport Association), it’s going to be hard for us to actually think about, let alone take part in the Olympics.
“We need an organisation so that we are able to start our preparation and train for the ultimate goal.”
NSAs are affiliated to the Singapore National Olympic Council, the national body that nominates athletes for the Olympics.
“It’ll be a dream to be selected for the Olympics and it’s something I really want to do,” said Farris, 22.
The trio showcased their talent in a segment of the GetActive! Skate Singapore yesterday, when they were brought in as judges for the skateboarding competition.
More than 30 skaters aged 3-12 also took part in the public try-outs in the morning.
The event, organised by Millennial Events Pte Ltd, is part of the Active Enabler programme by Get Active! Singapore, a week-long sporting bash which is part of the National Day celebrations.
It ends today at Jurong East field.
This article was first published on Aug 7, 2016.
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