KUALA LUMPUR: Lauren Hoh Ruyi’s football journey began not with a ball, but with tin cans scattered on the ground.
At around seven or eight, she would tag along with her older brother to his football sessions, kicking cans around while waiting for him to finish.
Before long, she convinced her mother to let her take football lessons too – on the condition that she kept her grades up.
Nearly 13 years later, Lauren was kicking a proper ball for Selangor and celebrating a Malaysia Games (Sukma) gold medal.
The 20-year-old played her part in Selangor’s successful title defence, beating Sabah 2-0 at Selayang Stadium on Wednesday.
She started on the right wing but was also called upon to deputise at fullback, with her high work rate a constant feature of the final.
"I’m a pretty versatile player. I’ve played a lot of positions over the years, but I like playing on the right a lot more.
"I think my best position is probably wingback, but I’m happy to play right wing or right back too," she said.
This is Lauren’s first and last Sukma appearance.
"It was definitely a great experience. It’s my first and last Games, unfortunately. I wish I had gotten the chance to play earlier on, but overall, I had so much fun with my team.
"Getting to play for Selangor was obviously a huge honour," said Lauren, who now studies Anthropology with a minor in Women’s Studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
In the final, Selangor’s S. Thivashini and Tegen Su-Yin Butler combined for both goals, with Tegen netting twice – her sixth of the tournament, as the 2024 champions defeated a resilient Sabah side under coach Osmera Omaro.
