CHAMPIONS Eastern are on the verge of pulling out from the Hong Kong First Division, according to senior official Peter Leung. Leung, who quit as team manager at the end of last season and is now assistant to president Lam Kin-ming, said they had failed to get sponsors for next season. 'There have been no individuals or companies who are interested in sponsoring Eastern,' said Leung. 'To make things worse, our football chairman Bruce Mok Bong-tung, who contributed part of this season's budget, is leaving.' Eastern developed into one of the territory's top sides, winning three consecutive league titles in the past three seasons. But things made a turn-about at the end of last season when Eastern's major sponsor, the Lai Sun Group, withdrew. Eastern then lost their best Chinese players, including forward Ricky Cheng Siu-chung, right-winger Lee Kin-wo, midfielder Lo Kai-wah and defender Chan Chi-keung. Most of their expatriates have joined other local clubs, except striker Dale Tempest and goalkeeper Iain Hesford - whose salaries are being paid by club president Lam. 'Mr Lam is unlikely to inject money into the club next season,' said Leung. 'The future of Eastern does not look very good.' Leung added that their players' contracts expire at the end of June and they would try their best to look for sponsors. Meanwhile, Sing Tao will soon sign Macau national 'keeper Domingos Chan Tat-sun for their Viceroy Cup campaign. The 25-year-old Chan played for now defunct Hong Kong sides Sea Bee and Po Chai seven years ago. His last appearance in the territory was the Asian Cup qualifying rounds in February in which Macau finished third in Group Two.
