Sportsmanship on display as Hong Kong charity soccer tournament raises HK$136,000 for Operation Santa Claus
- Operation Santa Claus, an annual charity initiative by the Post and RTHK, has been hosting the five-a-side tournament as part of its fundraising activities
- Participants, especially the children, were glad to be back on the field after the tournament was cut short last year, Hong Kong Football Club’s Nam Nguyen says
Sportsmanship was the order of the day as more than 200 people turned out for a good cause at a flagship charity soccer tournament for Operation Santa Claus (OSC) last month.
OSC, an annual charity drive jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK since 1988, has been hosting the five-a-side tournament as part of its fundraising activities since 1998.
Matches for the U12 Junior Tournament and the Adult Corporate Tournament were held at Happy Valley Recreation Ground on November 21, followed by the Junior U10 Boys Tournament on November 28. The event raised HK$136,000 (US$17,436) for charity.
Nam Nguyen, chairman of the Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) Junior Soccer Programme, said the children were especially grateful to be out on the field again, as the tournament was cancelled in 2019 because of anti-government protests, and was cut short last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve seen very good sportsmanship today, it’s a great spirit out there. We’ve had some difficult times in the last few years, so the times that the kids can get out there and play, I think they’re appreciative,” he said.
The HKFC has helped organise the tournament since its inception, with Fifa-grade referees from the Hong Kong Football Association, and funds are raised via participation fees.
Having been involved in the event for the past decade, Nguyen said he was glad to see familiar faces back on the field.
“A lot of these kids I’ve seen since they were five or six years old; that’s one of the rewarding things about being involved,” he said.