With the second round of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) underway, captain Umairah Hamdan is relishing her return to the team as she looks to guide the Lion City Sailors Women in a defining stretch of the title race.
Having missed a significant portion of the opening round through injury, the defender is now back leading preparations as the Sailors gear up to face Still Aerion on Saturday (25 April) night at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium.
Umairah made her long-awaited return in the Sailors’ 2-0 defeat to league leaders Albirex Jurong on 13 March. Despite the disappointing result, it marked a personal milestone after months of hard work in her recovery.
“Being injured is never an easy journey. However, knowing that my team was training hard and giving their all for each game gave me the motivation and determination to come back stronger,” she said.
Even while sidelined, Umairah remained a key presence within the squad, as she adapted her leadership role to support co vice-captains Syazwani Ruzi and Dhaniyah Qasimah in maintaining standards.
“While I couldn’t play, I supported the girls when they were in doubt about their roles. I also communicated with Coach Dan (Daniel Ong) to help get the right solutions for them,” she explained.
“I’d check in with Wani and Dhaniyah from time to time. They are very self-sufficient and stepped up well, leading the team and supporting the coaches.”
That period on the sidelines also gave her valuable new perspectives on the game.
“I was able to better understand how players adapt to different situations and support one another. Even though I wasn’t on the pitch, I stayed engaged and contributed by encouraging the team and sharing observations when appropriate,” said the 24-year-old.
Now fully fit, Umairah’s focus is firmly on driving the Sailors forward in what is shaping up to be a tightly contested title race. At the same time, she has taken on the added responsibility of guiding the next generation of players.
With more Sailors Girls Academy graduates stepping into the senior setup, Umairah has embraced a mentorship role to help ease their transition.
“While we’re pushing for the title, giving younger players exposure is important for the future of the team. I’ve been making an effort to include them, help them settle in, and guide them during matches, especially in positioning and decision-making,” she said.
“The goal is for the whole team to perform consistently, beat Albirex to the title, and secure qualification for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League.”
Next up is a tricky test against third-placed Still Aerion, with the Sailors entering the match on the back of an encouraging 15-0 victory over Balestier.
“One of the biggest positives was that we were able to play our style of football, which is something we’ve been working on all season. Our connections on the pitch were better, and you could see the growing chemistry as we understood each other’s strengths and weaknesses more,” she noted.
“To stay grounded, we remind ourselves that there’s always room for improvement. Even in strong performances, there are lessons to take away.”
Their previous meeting with Aerion on 31 January required patience, with the Sailors needing a late goal to secure a narrow 1-0 win, and Umairah knows improvements will be needed.
“One key lesson is to be more clinical in front of goal and make the most of our chances. We also need to be sharper in getting to the ball first and better at maintaining possession so we can control the game,” she said.
“With the work we’ve put in during training and recent matches, we’ve improved our understanding on the ball. Now, we want to show that with a more complete performance.”
