SO.. WHO'S ALIA?

​I was born and raised in Singapore, to a British dad and Filipino mum. 

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Despite being the child of an expat, unlike other kids in similar situations, I was fully brought up through the Singapore system as though I was a Singaporean. In fact, I didn't know I wasn't actually legally Singapore until I was 12 years old when I asked my dad! I only ever went to local schools, 95% of my friends were Singaporeans, I took up Mandarin Chinese as my second language since the age of 3.. you get it. 

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Growing up, I was extremely sporty. I lived and breathed sport, and I found that I was naturally quite good at most sports. I started off with golf in primary school because it was one that they offered. Fun fact: my school had putting greens and multiple practice nets on the school campus, and they partnered with a golf school to give us regular lessons. I never realised how unusual this was until I spoke to others who were golfers, but I am extremely grateful my primary school gave me the introduction to the sport. I had regular lessons and took part in some fun school competitions there, and even was the putting champion of my year in 2007! I also took up taekwondo and badminton just to try more sports, but these didn't stick. I joined my primary school's netball team, and was on there for a few years. I was vice-captain before eventually becoming captain, and we competed in the national school tournaments. And yes, we won trophies! Alongside netball, I also picked up swimming, and this was the sport that I chose to continue and do competitively through secondary school. From 2011 to 2012, I was part of the government's Junior Sports Academy (JSA) for swimming. This is a selection only programme for students that have higher abilities in sports. After graduating from this programme, I then applied for direct school admission (DSA) and was accepted to my secondary school for my achievements in swimming. I was asked to join the cross country team in school, but I had to turn it down as I was already training 10 times a week for swimming whilst juggling school. With swimming, I competed both locally and internationally, being blessed to travel to countries such as Hong Kong and Thailand to represent my club. I was fortunate to win a wide range of medals across different competitions. 

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At 16, I made the decision (with the approval of my parents of course), to be homeschooled and I was struggling with my mental health. It was then that I was fully introduced and immersed into the world of football. My younger brother was a footballer and my dad worked in football so I wasn't completely oblivious to it. Growing up I went to many football matches both locally and internationally, but I was never able to fully dive into it due to my other commitments. I won't list out every job I've ever held as that's the beauty of LinkedIn, however I was very fortunate to have worked across so many different sectors such as marketing, team management, and more. I learnt so much about the football world, particularly Asian football, and because of my work, I had the blessing of travelling to so many different Asian countries because of it. I will forever be grateful for all the experiences, people I met, and lessons I learnt because of Singapore football. 

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In 2017, the family moved to England which is where I currently reside. I'd be lying if I said I wanted to move because I didn't, Singapore was my home and I didn't know anything else besides it. I was a a few weeks from turning 19 when I moved, I remember feeling like my entire world was turned upside down and, in all honesty it was as I was leaving my whole life behind! If any of you reading this have migrated countries, give yourself a round of applause because it's not easy! Fast forward a few years later, although it was very difficult initially and truthfully I still do find it hard being so far away from home, I'm grateful to be in England as it's brought me an abundance of opportunities. 

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My journey into gaming started January 2021, a few months after lockdown due to the global pandemic. [A quick little backstory here to give some context, I've been creating content since I was 10 years old. I turn 25 in 2024. I've created all sorts of content on all platforms: vlogs, viral challenges, football videos, and more! It was something I've always been passionate about and never stopped doing over the years.] In FIFA21, I missed Singapore football so I borrowed my brother's laptop and posted a few clips on TikTok of me playing the game. To my surprise, all the videos I posted gained over 10k views so I just kept posting. I then gained a few comments from people asking me to stream on Twitch, and so I set that all up with the equipment I had and started streaming! I never thought I'd be a live streamer, but here we are years later still doing it. I've had so many opportunities because of football gaming, opportunities that 10 year old me dreamed of! Commentating at the ePremier League with Sky Sports, being one of 80 creators invited to Amsterdam for the launch of FC24, working with The English FA, being an ambassador for FIFAe, and more that's all available here on my Komi profile. In 2022, I represented England at the first ever Commonwealth Games in Esports, that ran alongside the main sports in Birmingham, and won a bronze medal.

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So where is Alia now? I create content in golf, football, gaming, and lifestyle. I'm also a commentator, presenter, host, and reporter in different areas. I love the women's game across multiple sports, and hope I can continue to empower and shine a light on women through my content. I look back at everything I've done over the last few years, all the lessons I've learnt, and it's led me to where I am today. Here's to the future!