At an age where many of his peers are chasing corporate careers or figuring out their future steps, 23-year-old Mohamed Hashim Marecar spends his days rather differently – carefully threading strings through the frame of a badminton racquet.
While racquet stringing is often associated with seasoned technicians who have spent decades in the trade, Mr Hashim is a young craftsman keeping the niche skill alive. The pull of nylon against racquets has now become second nature to him, a craft he learnt from the age of 5.
Despite securing a spot at the National University of Singapore after his A-level examinations, Mr Hashim decided to take an unconventional path, as, for him, the family business is a “legacy that should be treasured for as long as possible”.
When one enters the Smashsports racquet store, his family’s modest business at Queensway Shopping Centre, they are greeted by neatly hung racquets, sports equipment, and sneakers.
Standing behind the family business, which was started by his father, Mr Shaik Mougamadou Marecar, in 1982, Mr Hashim has boosted the business revenue by 20 per cent by posting videos on social media platforms, drawing millions of likes and views.
“Posting videos came as a random thought in 2022. I decided to just do it, and the rest became history,” he quipped.
While stringing racquets and attending to customers, Mr Hashim is often seen holding a phone and mic, recording videos of himself promoting the equipment, with help from his older brother, Mohamed Mohaiyadeen Marecar, 36, who joined the store full-time in late 2025.
“The online attention came unexpectedly, especially when the video my mother took earned millions of views. It was an emotional moment for me,” Mr Hashim said.
In this era where sustaining a family business is no easy feat, Mr Hashim attributes the shop’s visibility to social media, which has attracted eyeballs and brought fresh perspectives to the business.
“I try to post at least one video a day with help from my older brother occasionally. I am planning to venture into the Chinese version of TikTok to get more views,” he said.
Earning customers from all over the world, including countries like Mauritius and the Netherlands, Mr Hashim said he was touched by the response, adding that regular customers even give gifts to the store during festive periods.
Mr Hashim started by helping his father with the business and grew alongside the trade.
From picking up simple skills to learning to string a racquet from his father, Mr Hashim decided to take this path right after completing National Service.
Mr Hashim noted it took years of practice before he became fully confident in racquet stringing. “I was about 15 years old when I fully learnt the skill,” he said.
Apart from learning the skill, one has to be mindful of the strings’ texture and tension, he added.
To become a certified racquet stringer, the family went to Germany in 2023 to obtain accreditation from the European Racquet Stringers Association.
Mr Hashim, the youngest of four siblings, runs the store’s daily operations. He can be seen at the store almost every day.
The family has two shop units at Queensway Shopping Centre and operates with a team of three workers.
When asked about running a business with an older sibling, he said disagreements are bound to happen, but they present opportunities to learn from his brother and from his father, who comes to the store whenever he is free.
With plans underway to make the family business a global brand, Mr Hashim also shared that a new store is set to open at Queensway Shopping Centre, focusing on paddle sports such as pickleball.
