March might be ‘too soon’ to resume playing matches at football grounds, says top government official
- Sports commissioner Yeung Tak-keung attends first-ever match held behind closed doors at Tseung Kwan O Training Centre amid the virus outbreak
- Football Association is happy with arrangements, saying it was a precautionary measure to protect attendants at the game
The coronavirus outbreak has thrown the domestic league in disarray with government officials uncertain when games might resume playing in proper football grounds – and with fans back.
Government officials yesterday were unable to give a timeline as to when the domestic league could return to normal after Hong Kong held its first match behind closed doors at the Tseung Kwan O Football Training Centre.
Kitchee kicked off their first match played behind closed doors in the Sapling Cup with a dominant 3-0 win over BC Rangers but the match was watched by a handful of spectators after the government imposed strict restrictions on football grounds to prevent the spread of the deadly virus that originated in Wuhan, China.
Only a few Kitchee fans stood outside the venue to watch the game behind a fence with the match attended by match officials and the media.
The Football Association said it planned more Sapling Cup matches as well as two FA Cup first round games behind closed doors until the end of the month, with Premier League matches resuming in early March.
But Commissioner of Sports, Yeung Tak-keung, who made a special visit to the match, said it was too early to decide if domestic competition would be back to normal next month.