A viral video of a boy delivering a well-aimed kick to another player's head in a youth soccer game has left coaches and parents up in arms.
'In my time on the pitch I've never seen anything like that from a boy under 12,' said Stephen Lam Tak-sing, operational director of Kitchee-escola, the team whose player was injured by a kick to the face by an opponent from the ESF Lions under-12 team in a Hong Kong Development League game at KGV school on Saturday.
He felt coaches should have intervened sooner with their players in a league where no yellow or red cards are given out for aggressive play.
The English Schools Foundation apologised for the incident, saying it would co-operate fully with an investigation set up by the league and that it upholds the principles of fair play. It also defended the coach, saying he is established and well-qualified.
The league plans to speak today to the two referees and an official observer who was at the game.
'I have no idea what happened,' said Ben Lam Chan-bun, a spokesman for the league, which is in its first year of operation. 'Last time they played Chelsea [Soccer School, Hong Kong] and there were no complaints.'