Beijing loyalists deny leader's soccer cup aimed at boosting Leung Chun-ying

A group of Beijing loyalists have set up an association aimed at uniting the city through sporting events, including a charity soccer tournament named in honour of the chief executive.

The Chief Executive Charity Football Tournament will be one of the first events held by the Hong Kong Mega Sports Events Association, a limited company.

But Dr Kenneth Chan Ka-lok, vice-chairman of the Legislative Council home affairs panel, expressed concern about the group's ambitions, comparing the idea to a personality cult.

"They undoubtedly have good intentions, but it is distracting from Hong Kong's real issues," the Civic Party member said. "Soccer [and the divisions within society] are completely unrelated and it would be impossible to achieve their lofty goal."

One of the new company's directors, Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung, chairman of the Association of Hong Kong Professionals and a loyal Leung Chun-ying supporter, rejected the criticism. He denied the contest was an attempt to boost the chief executive's low popularity ratings.

"Sports should never be politicised," he said. "If that was the case, why didn't we name it the Leung Chun-ying Tournament?"

Eugene Chan added that the chief executive was aware of the association's plans for a tournament, and said that the aim was to make it an annual event.