Editorial | Women involved in football should be free of discrimination
- Criticism of the only female referee in the men’s Premier League has raised broader issues about attitudes towards women in Hong Kong football. More must be done to ensure women have a fair opportunity to participate in the sport
Hong Kong has produced many female sports stars over the years, from windsurfer Lee Lai-shan winning Olympic gold in 1996 to the figure-skating exploits of Christy Leung Yi. One lesser known sporting hero is football referee Gigi Law Bik-chi.
Law is the only female ref in the men’s Premier League. She is one of the few women from Asia to be accredited as a referee by Fifa, the sport’s governing body.
All referees, Law included, are well accustomed to criticism of their performances. Whether justified or not, it goes with the territory. Coaches, players and fans often target the ref when decisions during a match go against their team.
But the criticism of Law by Premier League club Happy Valley’s manager last weekend is different. His comments have raised broader issues about attitudes towards women in Hong Kong football.
The head coach, Pau Ka-yiu, speaking in a post-match interview, said Law was not physically strong enough to oversee men’s games or fit enough to keep up with play. “Please write to the HKFA and plead them not to give us women referees,” he said, while claiming he was not being sexist.