MOST soccer players would find it hard to turn up to an evening training session without having eaten or drunk throughout the day, but Hume City star Tansel Baser says he fasts most days because it's important to follow his beliefs.
Baser, a practising Muslim, is now involved in the Victorian Premier League finals series with his club and says his teammates have shown nothing but respect for his decision to fast during Ramadan, which started on August 11 and ends on September 9.
He chooses not to fast on match days out of respect for his club but takes part in difficult practice sessions with less energy than the rest of the team.
"We normally gather at our training ground at 6pm, but the coach and players have no problem with me coming in a bit late so I can get some fluids in before I start," Baser says.
"Last week we had a team meeting at 6pm, but all the players said they wanted to wait for me to come before they started."
Baser, 32, who spent a large part of his early soccer career playing professionally in Turkey, said the clubs there did not allow him to fast at all.
"I trained twice a day in Turkey at an extremely high intensity and it would have been crazy to do it with no food or drink," he said. "But the level I play at now, which is semi-professional, allows me to fast during the week but take a break from it on weekends."
Baser says he intends to make up for the days lost fasting for Ramadan when the soccer season is over.
"I have to do my job for the team at the moment, but I'm sure I'll find an extra 10 days at some point this year to complete my fasting," he says. "I'm sure Allah will forgive me."
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