Former SAR hockey captain Farooq Saeed takes his competitive spirit into the family textile business Former Hong Kong captain Farooq Saeed used to weave his way around opposing players competing in some of the biggest hockey tournaments in Asia. But since hanging up his boots as one of the SAR's longest-serving skippers, he is devoting more time to weaving of a different kind - in the textile industry. The 36-year-old Pakistan-born Hong Kong resident retired from the SAR team in January, and has been immersed in his job as one of four directors helping out his family business, Keywin Trading. Since joining his father's business in 1991 as a trainee, he has seen the company grow rapidly, thanks to booming trade between Pakistan and China. 'We have doubled our business since 1993 and 1994 in terms of turnover and quantity. At first, it was only my dad and I working in the company. Now, my three brothers are working for us. 'All four brothers have their own department to take care of. I handle the Hong Kong trading business of cotton yarn, fabric and accessories. My dad looks after the raw cotton business and he oversees the group's finances. We have a garment factory in Pakistan and my two brothers run its day-to-day operations,' said Mr Saeed, who comes from a prominent Pakistani family. Having good ties helps in the industry, and he has seen his family business go from strength to strength despite some tough times. His father, Uddin Saeed is well known in Hong Kong as a recipient of the Medal of Honour, awarded by former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa for his contribution to the industry. As chairman of Keywin, he is also president of the Pakistan Association and served as past chairman of the Incorporated Trustees of the Islamic Community Fund of Hong Kong. He was also appointed a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission. His son, Farooq, was born in Hyderabad, near Karachi, in Pakistan. 'I came to Hong Kong when I was [primary] Class Two in 1975,' Mr Saeed said. 'I did my O Levels here and I attended the University of Karachi, where I graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration while playing first-class hockey. 'When I first joined my father's company, I was just a trainee. I did the filing at first when I first started out. At that time, we didn't have e-mail, so we read telexes and faxes. I did this for a couple of months.' Gradually, Mr Saeed started to learn the business. His dad used to give him samples and would send him to see new buyers in the New Territories. He used to carry samples of yarn and go door to door hoping to find new buyers. During those early years, Mr Saeed was more interested in hockey as he played in the top division for Hyderabad and in the top national league during the late 1980s, crafting his skill as a hard-working defender and later a penalty-corner specialist. Pakistan is one of the world's top eight hockey nations, and Mr Saeed enjoyed his stint in the top flight, representing his country at national junior level before moving back and playing for Hong Kong in 1989. 'After 1993, I was more serious about our business because between 1994 to 1996 my father was based in Uzbekistan, where we opened a new cotton trade office and I was left to hold the fort,' he said. 'Our main business is cotton trade. We import cotton yarn from Pakistan and India and sell it to China. At the moment, our main business partners are China and Pakistan. 'The yarn that we sell to China is made into woven fabric, which in turn is made into garments and are sold to major customers in the United States and Europe. We sell it to knitting and garment manufacturers in China. Most of the buyers are Hong Kong-based, but they have offices and factories in China.' The textile business is one of the most competitive industries around. While acknowledging this, Mr Saeed said he believed that China holds the key to his company's fortunes, even though they have been doing business with the mainland for 30 years. 'We want to concentrate on China because China is the key economic power, and its production scale is massive. We're lucky to be living in Hong Kong, which is the gateway to China. We try to find more clients on the mainland because business is still expanding there. There are a lot of untapped markets in China,' he said. The key to staying ahead in the business was honesty and commitment, he said. This might sound simple, but it's easier said than done in a fiercely competitive market. 'To be a good businessman, you have to be very disciplined and you must have 100 per cent commitment,' said Mr Saeed. 'You have to have a very good reputation. You have to have credibility in the market, because business is now done on relationship and on trust. It's an internet industry and everybody knows all the customers and there's no place to hide because there are so many exhibitions and they get exposure. The buyers and sellers are close to each other. 'We have to be on the edge, upfront and one step ahead of our competitors. I tend to be very punctual in response to the customers. I intend to satisfy my customers in the utmost way and I keep their trust. We work day-to-day on very low margins because the market is so competitive.' His sports background helped him in the textile game, knowing that hard work and commitment often go hand in hand in making a business successful. 'In my field, everything is at such a fast pace, it never stops. You meet people and new clients. Hong Kong is the best place. It's the happening place.' As one of Hong Kong's longest-serving players, representing Hong Kong in four Asian Games (Doha 2006 being his last), two as captain (2002 and 2006), and two Asia Cups (1996 and 2003), his long hours of training and his experience in a 17-year international career might have had something to do with his success in his trade. Even today, sport plays a big role in his performance at work. 'Sport makes you disciplined and keeps you fit and healthy. When you come to the office, you put in more effort and you concentrate better,' he said. 'It also keeps you punctual, which is extremely important in my line of work. 'I am now starting to play golf because my customers play golf. I play a lot of cricket too, and I've just came back from an interport match, representing my club. 'Through sport, you can get a lot more exposure and you become more confident about yourself, especially as a speaker,' he said. When you travel and you meet people, your knowledge and your IQ improves.' Despite retiring from the Hong Kong squad, Mr Saeed is playing a new role on the team as team manager, a role he is relishing because it allows him to expand his business contacts. 'Hong Kong will play in a four-nation tournament in Singapore in October and before that, the Asia Cup in Chennai [India], which also acts as a World Cup qualifier with giants such as South Korea, Pakistan and India competing,' he said. 'Even though I don't play with the Hong Kong team any more, I still train with them. I also play for [local champions] Shaheen in the league.' Sport and life 1986 to 1989 Played in the top division in Hyderabad, Pakistan 1989 Graduated from University of Karachi with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Moved to Hong Kong and first represented the SAR 1990 Competed in his first Asian Games in Beijing 1991 Joined Keywin Trading as a trainee 1997 Became company director 1998 and 2002 Captained the Hong Kong team at the Asian Games and two Asia Cups in 1996 and 2003 January 2007 Retired as a player from Hong Kong team May 2007 Appointed Hong Kong hockey team manager