Letters | To reawaken Hong Kong’s economy, try Saudi Arabia’s football strategy

Readers discuss how sport could be the driving force of the city’s economy, and law enforcement in relation to hawkers versus illegal structures built by the wealthy

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Abdullah Al-Swaha, Saudi minister of communications and information technology of greets Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee at the “One Gateway Shared Vision - Hong Kong x Saudi Arabia” event at Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, on August 2. Photo: Facebook

Published: 11:30am, 20 Sep 2023

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The crowd in So Kon Po erupted with glee on the night of September 11 as the Hong Kong team scored 10 goals against Brunei. It brought back some of the joy we felt in 2009 when our team won the East Asian Games final.

It is impossible to forget how the goalkeeper, Yapp Hung-fai, gave an incredible performance and saved the team in the thrilling penalty shoot-out. I’m sure many in Hong Kong still vividly recall that match because this city is filled with football fans like myself.

It is always interesting, or somewhat frustrating, to see how the spending power of football lovers is channelled. Most of us happily pay to subscribe to television channels and follow overseas leagues as well as purchase the jerseys of different European clubs.

Following the final of the East Asian Games in 2009, the Hong Kong government made efforts to invest in the development of local football, but the outcome has been extremely disappointing.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has showed a bold and effective approach to developing its domestic football scene. Two years ago, it would have been a joke to look out for a Saudi league game to watch. But now, people wouldn’t mind paying to watch not only the stars who are near retirement age but also those who are still at the peak of their careers. Who would have thought the possibility of Saudi teams joining the Champions League could even be discussed?

Yes, Saudi clubs made significant investments through a series of high-profile signings over the summer. Media outlets are reporting that these clubs shelled out almost US$1 billion in the transfer window.