Strict Covid-19 precautions as the Hong Kong Premier League restarts behind closed doors with Eastern beating Kitchee
- Eastern stay in the hunt for a trophy treble with a 2-1 victory over Kitchee at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground
- Officials and players are under repeated testing and home quarantine but are happy with the safety measures
Strict Covid-19 prevention measures were in force on Saturday as the Hong Kong Premier League resumed after six months with Eastern scoring a crucial 2-1 victory over Kitchee that kept alive their hopes of a trophy treble.
It was March at the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground when the last match was played before the competition was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
And at the same venue on Saturday, Chung Wai-keung scored the winning goal midway through the second half. All three goals came after the break with Diego Moreira heading in the opener for Eastern after a corner kick before a penalty by Nikola Komazec gave Kitchee the equaliser.
But the precautionary measures were much stricter on Saturday than six months ago. Matches continue to be played behind closed doors and players from both teams had to be separated from reporters and photographers, who remained in the media stand or photo slot throughout the match.
Post-match interviews had to be held from a media stand with players and coaches answering questions through the public announcer.