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El Masri pulls his boots back on

Now three years into retirement, it's only his three children heckling former Canterbury champion and the greatest point scorer in NRL history, Hazem El Masri, to miss. When Lamya, 10, Zayd, 8, and Serine, 4, spy a park with goalposts, they head straight to the sidelines and say, "Dad, come and see if you've still got it," El Masri joked.
By · 7 Oct 2012
By ·
7 Oct 2012
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Now three years into retirement, it's only his three children heckling former Canterbury champion and the greatest point scorer in NRL history, Hazem El Masri, to miss. When Lamya, 10, Zayd, 8, and Serine, 4, spy a park with goalposts, they head straight to the sidelines and say, "Dad, come and see if you've still got it," El Masri joked.

"I say, 'No, no, bring the ball a little closer,' and then I distract them by getting them to do push-ups. I miss a couple [of kicks] sometimes and they give me heaps."

After a decorated 14-year career as a winger, fullback and goal-kicker for the Bulldogs and representing NSW in State of Origin clashes and Australia and Lebanon internationally, El Masri, 36, has been active in retirement. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters from University of Western Sydney for his community service and for being a role model in the Arabic community.

Now he is an ambassador for the Rebel Sport Run4Fun presented by The Sun-Herald. With his children, El Masri plans to take part in the 10-kilometre Run4Fun at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday, November 4.

"I think I will run a bit, walk the majority of it and definitely socialise and I'm keen for the kids to be involved as well," El Masri said.

To join the El Masri family and be a part of the fourth annual Run4Fun, enter now at run4fun.com.au

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Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…

Hazem El Masri is a retired Canterbury Bulldogs great and the NRL's highest ever point scorer with a 14-year career that included State of Origin and international appearances for Australia and Lebanon. The article says he’s active in retirement, was awarded an honorary doctorate for community service, and is serving as an ambassador for the Rebel Sport Run4Fun to help promote the family-friendly event.

The Rebel Sport Run4Fun, presented by The Sun-Herald, is an annual family-focused fun run; the article notes the fourth annual event includes a 10-kilometre Run4Fun at Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday, November 4.

The article says families can join the El Masri family and enter the Run4Fun by signing up at run4fun.com.au — the event is promoted as social and family-friendly, with Hazem planning to run a bit, walk much of it, and involve his children.

According to the article, the Run4Fun event is presented by The Sun-Herald and sponsored by Rebel Sport, and entry information is available at run4fun.com.au; Hazem El Masri’s honorary doctorate came from the University of Western Sydney, which is mentioned in relation to his community work.

The article explains El Masri received an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Western Sydney for community service and being a role model in the Arabic community, which supports his credibility and public profile when representing community-focused events like Run4Fun.

El Masri says he plans to run a bit, walk the majority of the 10-kilometre course, socialise during the event, and get his children involved — reflecting the event’s family and community emphasis.

The article highlights El Masri competing with his three children — Lamya (10), Zayd (8) and Serine (4) — noting they love testing his kicking and that he wants the kids to take part in the Run4Fun, reinforcing the event’s family-friendly positioning.

While the article focuses on the event, it shows that well-known athletes with strong community ties and credibility — like El Masri — can help brands and media partners promote family-focused events, boost local visibility and deepen community engagement, which are factors investors watch when assessing a brand’s marketing and public relations strategies.