Aleksandar Duric’s Journey From Olympian to Singapore Football Mentor

Aleksandar Duric’s sporting life spans two countries, two sports and a remarkable late start in international football. After reaching the 1992 Barcelona Olympics amid hardship and war, he found lasting success as a striker in Singapore. His work today is less about his own results than the opportunities and support he can give other athletes. 1733138

From childhood hardship to the Barcelona Olympics

Growing up in the former Yugoslavia, Duric helped his family by collecting bottles, paper and metal to sell. He played football as a child but also took up kayaking, becoming accomplished enough to receive an invitation to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 1992 Olympics. With war disrupting life at home, even getting to Barcelona was difficult: the BBC reported that his journey from the Balkans took about a day and a half. His Olympic appearance came despite limited resources, not through a conventional, well-supported route. 2921171

A new football career in Singapore

The Olympics did not lead directly to football stardom. Duric established himself as a professional footballer in Australia and China before arriving in Singapore in 1999 to play for Tanjong Pagar United. He went on to spend roughly 15 years in Singapore football and retired in 2014. In his farewell letter, he recalled scoring 321 league goals and winning 16 domestic titles. 3327

After gaining Singapore citizenship in 2007, he made his national-team debut at 37. He ultimately scored 24 goals in 53 appearances and was part of the side that won the 2012 AFF Cup. His achievements were not a simple consequence of Olympic experience; they came from building a separate, long-running football career after an unusually difficult start. 262532

Giving young players more opportunities

Duric is now principal of the ActiveSG Football Academy, whose stated aims include developing children’s football skills and character. The academy began with about 500 children at five centres in 2016. By May 2026, it had about 4,000 participants across 17 centres, including about 600 girls. 13911

In July 2026, the academy added girls-only programmes at its Tampines Secondary School and Ang Mo Kio Secondary School centres alongside its existing age-group offerings. The programmes are intended to give girls another route into grassroots football and, as they progress, more competitive play. 9

Supporting Team Singapore at the 2026 Asian Games

Duric’s next major sporting role is off the field. He is one of Team Singapore’s two assistant chefs de mission for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, working alongside Fariza Zabir under chef de mission Goh Kee Nguan. Duric has said his experience as an athlete could help him steady competitors before important events and help them focus. It is a different way to give back: offering support to athletes facing the pressures he once knew firsthand. 8217