Hong Kong FA criticised by Audit Commission for making ‘little progress’ since Project Phoenix was launched in 2011
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The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) is hoping its “lack of progress” since initiating Project Phoenix nine years ago will not affect funding for the sport in the next five years.
The FA has come under heavy fire from the Audit Commission which said more than HK$160 million was invested into the sport but the lack of improvement, especially in the top flight, had been a major disappointment.
Since Project Phoenix began in 2011, which was followed by the Five-year Strategic Plan that was completed last month, results have hardly been impressive.
The Audit Commission’s report, released on Wednesday, shows there has been a decrease in match attendances for domestic matches. From 2015 to 2019, the average number of spectators per match had decreased by 3.6 per cent from 1,403 to 1,352.
Apart from income derived from programme and registration fees, all other self-generated income by the HKFA also showed a declining trend. Gate receipts fell from HK$16.8 million (16 per cent of total income) in the 2014-15 season to HK$4.6 million (5 per cent of total income) in the 2017-18 season. In the same period, sponsorship income also decreased from HK$21.1 million (21 per cent of total income) to HK$4.5 million (5 per cent of total income).