Operation Santa Claus has been hosting the five-a-side soccer tournament as part of its fundraising activities for more than two decades Photo: SCMP
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https://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3115820/hong-kong-charity-soccer-tournament-cuts-short-matches-amid-pandemic Hong Kong
Hong Kong charity soccer tournament cuts short matches amid pandemic but retains glory
- U12 Junior Tournament and Adult Corporate Tournament were held on November 29, while matches planned for December 6 had to be cancelled
- Organiser Hong Kong Football Club raises donations from its members on the occasion for Operation Santa Claus charity drive
Hong Kong Football Club has helped organise the tournament since its conception. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
A flagship charity soccer tournament for Operation Santa Claus (OSC) had to be cut short in Hong Kong amid the pandemic, but it was good while it lasted.
OSC, an annual Christmas-themed charity drive co-hosted by the South China Morning Post and RTHK since 1988, has been hosting the five-a-side tournament as part of its fundraising activities for more than two decades. But the tournament was cancelled last year due to anti-government protests.
Adhering to social-distancing rules amid the pandemic, organisers this year transformed the event into a four-a-side tournament.
The first batch of matches – the U12 Junior Tournament and the Adult Corporate Tournament – were held on November 29. The matches were sponsored by insurance company AIA.
“Normally, you’d have more children on the pitch, and everyone is looking after their own area,” said Jamie Price, the U12 coach from Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC).
“But when it’s four-a-side, the kids are exhausted. They’ve just been running around like crazy, it’s a totally different game, my children learned so much today.”
He said having four players on the team required the goalkeeper to pull out into the game, “otherwise there would only be three players in the field”. There is also more space to score goals, and mistakes are amplified, since there are less players to cover for their teammates.
The HKFC has helped organise the tournament since its conception, offering footballing expertise, coaches, administrative work, as well as players and teams.
The club also brings in monetary contributions for OSC from donations made by its members.
“Operation Santa Claus does a lot of fantastic work around Hong Kong, and it is important to us that it is well-funded,” said Robert Bacon, chairman of the club’s soccer section.
“We’ve been able to host a football event that brings the community together, raises awareness, and has everyone gathered for a healthy event especially for the children – it’s just a fantastic thing to be involved in.”
The football community in Hong Kong has had a difficult year due to restrictive social-distancing measures brought about to contain the pandemic. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Bacon added that the football community in the city underwent a “difficult year” due to restrictive social-distancing measures that shut many outdoor facilities.
“But as the year progressed, I think people began to realise the importance of outdoor activities to health and well-being, so authorities began to show a little more reluctance in shutting these facilities down too quickly.”
As for the results, the HKFC won both cup and plate finals in the U12 tournament, while Heng Wah Decoration Company won the cup final in the adult tournament, and Savills Property Management took home the plate final.
The second part of the tournament, originally planned for December 6, had to be cancelled as the Covid-19 fourth wave worsened.