Jacob Mahler's Positive Outlook And Strength

A knee injury may have taken him out of the recent sea games, but Jacob Mahler’s positive outlook and strength proves that he is definitely a young lion both on and off the field. By Azhar Rahim.

- Jeffrey Yan

Jacob Mahler is a trooper.

Throughout the six‑hour‑long shoot, which includes five outfit changes, countless poses for various different frames, and interviews on and off camera, the 22‑year‑old national footballer does not once ask for a break. “I try my best to put my all in everything that I do, and I want to make sure that I get the job done right and not waste everyone’s time,” he says. “From when I was young, my parents taught me that if I want to do something, and have agreed to it, I must give my 100 percent. That is something that has stuck with me all these years.”

It is this life lesson from his Danish father and Singaporean Chinese mother, alongside his talent and professionalism, that has propelled him forward in his career as a footballer. At 18, in just under eight months, Mahler earned the call‑up to transition from playing in the Under‑18s to playing in the big leagues with the national team. Then, he was named the Captain of the Young Lions Under‑23 team—a role he was looking forward to holding at this year’s Southeast Asian (Sea) Games.

But barely a month to the semi‑finals qualifying match against Malaysia in Hanoi, Mahler received devastating news that would take him out of the regional competition. Recalling that fateful moment, Mahler says: “I heard a pop in my knee, but I could still walk and put pressure on my legs with minimal pain at that time. So I thought it was just a strain and nothing serious, and that I would be able to make it back for the game after resting for a few weeks.” To be sure, Mahler then went for a check‑up the next day and, after an MRI scan, confirmed the seriousness of his injury.