PR rider sinks sponsorship

THE First Division League, scheduled to kick off in less than a month, is likely to proceed without a sponsor after the association's council last night rejected a proposal by petroleum company Esso, backers of last season's FA Cup.

Esso were prepared to pay $600,000 to become the title sponsor but the Hong Kong Football Association found their conditions unacceptable.

The company wanted the FA to pay a 20 per cent commission of the sponsorship to a public relations company and also provide a guarantee for an international match during the season.

FA secretary Vincent Yuen Man-chuen said: ''We will be looking at other channels for sponsorship but we are not desperate because the competition will go on with or without a sponsor.

''We will not be seeking sponsors through a public relations company if we have to pay for it.'' Meanwhile, Instant-Dict have been drawn against Sri Lanka's Renown FC in the opening round of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, with the first leg in Colombo on October 1 and the return match in Hong Kong on October 22.

Instant-Dict's president Thomas Tam said: ''Renown FC are an unknown quantity but we should not underestimate them.'' Tam added they will seek the Asian Football Confederation's approval to have the second leg played on Sunday, October 23, instead.

In Taiwan, Hong Kong champions Eastern kept alive hopes of winning the Feng Shan Cup when they twice came back from one goal down to beat North Korea 3-2.

Eastern are in second place with three wins and one draw and will play the unbeaten Japanese in the title decider today.