Anthem issues aside, Hong Kong and Macau need to be part of the Chinese football pyramid for the game to improve
- Possibility of having Macau and Hong Kong teams playing in Chinese leagues has been raised before
- Hong Kong Premier League already has a mainland-based team in table-topping R&F
Do Hong Kong and Macau need to play on the mainland for football to improve? That possibility has been raised once again this week, this time at the SporTel Asia conference in Macau.
Shoto Zhu, president of Beijing-based Oceans Sports and Entertainment, believes the time might finally be right for the oft-mooted proposal to come to pass.
Speaking to the Macau News Agency, Zhu was confident.
“In practical terms I think it could work. Twelve to ten years ago maybe it was difficult because at that time teams did not want to spend too much money travelling to Hong Kong, visas were an issue,” he said, adding that things have become much easier over time and the infrastructure is there.
Zhu, like those who have raised the idea before him, is confident that the level of competition would help Hong Kong get back to its heyday.
