There was a brace for Eastern Long Lions forward Everton Camargo on Thursday when he was named the Hong Kong Premier League players’ player of the year and the Hong Kong Sports Press Association’s “most favourite player”. The 29-year-old Brazilian, who won the Senior Shield and FA Cup with Eastern last season, finished the campaign with eight goals in 16 league and cup appearances. Eastern narrowly missed out on the league title on an action-packed final day of the season when Kitchee clutched the trophy with a 4-0 win over league whipping boys Happy Valley. The much-disrupted 2019-20 season was halted for months when the coronavirus pandemic gripped the city. Hong Kong FA proposes more matches for Premier League after R&F pull-out leaves only eight teams Eventually, six of the initial 10 teams that began the campaign agreed to see the season to its conclusion with qualification for the lucrative continental competitions up for grabs. It was also confirmed that this season’s campaign will kick off on Saturday with the opening round of the eight-team Sapling Cup. The new Premier League competition is tipped to begin on November 14. As it stands, just eight teams will contest the 2020-21 season since mainland-based club R&F withdrew from Hong Kong football after a turbulent four years playing in the city. Erstwhile R&F duo Deble Serge and Igor Sartori shared the League’s top scorer award after netting six goals apiece once matches against the four teams that didn’t finish the campaign were discounted. Hong Kong football will survive without R&F, says Eastern boss after Guangzhou-based side pull out of Premier League Happy Valley’s Lai Pui-kei was awarded the goal of the season award while Valley stopper Chung Wai-ho was awarded save of the season.
