The Hangzhou Asian Games feast has come to an end, but there are still a few heavyweights to come. Although the national team was defeated in the last eight, Hong Kong, China's men's soccer team was happy to see the first time in history to enter the quarterfinals of the Asian Games! After defeating Asian powerhouses such as Palestine and Iran, and despite losing against Japan, the Hong Kong team will be back in action on October 7 at 4 p.m. when they face Uzbekistan in a thrilling battle to write a new chapter in their history!
Over the past few days, even local fans have lamented that the national soccer team may not be able to beat the Hong Kong team, and have turned to support the Hong Kong team to fight for the bronze medal!
Happy Valley Racecourse is free and open to all!
For the Hong Kong team, the showdown on October 7 will undoubtedly be a feast for Hong Kong fans, and both victory and defeat are welcome. Even the Happy Valley Racecourse, which is only open on Wednesday evenings, will open its gates to the public for free on the afternoon of October 7, allowing fans to witness the match live.
In addition, there will be stalls selling snacks and beverages to ensure a lively atmosphere. Please enter the venue at 3:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis as seating is limited.
How do I get to the site?
MTR: Causeway Bay Station Exit A
Tinker Bus: Leighton Road Station or Happy Valley Station
In addition to the Happy Valley Racecourse at the ground floor themed atrium of Olympian City II, the MTR Olympic Station, a 430-inch super-sized TV will be set up to broadcast live high-definition races, and souvenirs of the event will be distributed on site.
Fok Kai Shan: The prize money is ready! Will Hong Kong team make it to the World Cup?
In this year's Hangzhou Asian Games, Fok Kai-kong is the head of the Hong Kong delegation, and his brother, Fok Kai-san, has been the Chairman of the Hong Kong Football Association since the end of June this year. He is extremely concerned about the performance of the Hong Kong team in the soccer matches. After the Hong Kong team advanced to the semi-finals, Fok Kai Shan announced that he would prepare bonuses for the players to boost their morale!
Support for Hong Kong soccer goes far beyond prizes. Without a blueprint for soccer development, it would have been difficult for the Hong Kong team to reach its current level of success, and in 2011, the Hong Kong SAR Government launched the "Phoenix Plan", which allocates HK$20 million per year from 2011 to 2014 to the Hong Kong Football Association to support the development of local soccer. After the success of the "Phoenix Program", the Hong Kong government launched two rounds of "Five-Year Plan", including the plan released in 2020, which clearly stated that the Hong Kong men's soccer team to 2034 World Cup Finals as the goal.
To achieve this goal, the Hong Kong Football Development Plan focuses not only on elite athletes but also on grassroots soccer. In the past five years of planning, the number of grassroots and youth soccer participants has exceeded the target, with the exception of 2015/16, when the target was not met, and the number of participants has reached 17,032 in 2019/20.
In preparation for the 2034 World Cup Finals, Hong Kong started to pay attention to and develop soccer for young children several years ago. It is also emphasized in the plan that special attention should be given to children born between 2004 and 2014 to develop them into Asian and even world-class soccer talents.
