A move to disband HK08 - the Boys to Beijing - from the First Division next season could be put on hold if ambitious plans currently being hammered out materialise, said a senior Hong Kong Football Association official yesterday. Martin Lam Chun-ying, HKFA general secretary, revealed that the teenage team being groomed to represent Hong Kong at the 2008 Beijing Olympics could be bolstered by a couple of overseas professionals next season. The salvage plans also include a search for a sponsor who would be willing to back the squad of under-18 players. 'We are working on a plan so that HK08 can continue to play in the local First Division next season. There has been talk of disbanding the team and absorbing the players into other sides. But ideally, we would like them to carry on playing as a team,' said Lam. HK08's initial foray into the Hong Kong First Division comes to an end this afternoon at Mongkok Stadium when they take on Buler Rangers in their last league game. It has been a long and tough season for the novices, who have lost 12 of their 13 league matches, with the only high-point being a 1-1 draw with Kitchee. But in the bigger scheme of things, this inaugural season has been hugely beneficial in that it has given the squad of around 20 players invaluable match experience and a sense of mateship. The HKFA realises that breaking this team up simply because they have failed to win a match would be foolhardy. 'They have improved as the season has progressed. This is important. Everyone knows, people have seen them playing better. There have been a number of close matches, and with experience, the results could have gone their way.' The finishing touches, especially in front of the opposition goal, have been missing. To make up for this, local officials are thinking of adding a couple of overseas professionals into the side next season. 'Last season, we took the decision to include HK08 in the First Division at a very late stage and we did not have enough time to look at boosting the side with two or three overseas players. Such a move will help this side hugely. The experienced players can only help the youngsters develop,' Lam said. The stumbling block as always will be money. The cost of fielding HK08 this season is believed to be around $1 million. This figure is bound to go up if foreign professionals are introduced. But having a spine of seasoned players in the team will only help them improve. 'We [HKFA] have run the team this season with help from a few sources including our chairman Martin Hong. But we are now on the lookout for a sponsor. 'While the Beijing Olympics is one of the targets for this team, we also hope to groom a group of players who can grow up and be able to join the other professional clubs in Hong Kong. We want this to be sort of a feeder system,' said Lam. The Beijing Olympics qualifying process will only start next year. According to Lam, if the team are disbanded, the players would be absorbed into the other clubs. But there are fears that not all the players will be taken - striker Cheng Lai-hin, Chan Man-fai and So Wai-chuen are the few who are likely to be snapped up - and also doubts whether they will be given regular match time.
