Hong Kong to send gamers to inaugural FIFAe Nations Cup in Denmark
- The five-member team will be the first esport football squad to don Hong Kong colours at a world level tournament
- Selection starts on March 13 with the final in April before the team is picked for the world event in Denmark in August
Hong Kong may be far away from reaching the World Cup football finals, but they will have a chance to compete at the highest level in esports at the 2021 FIFAe Nations Cup.
For the first time, a five-member esport team will be selected to represent Hong Kong in the inaugural tournament in August in Denmark, where they will rub shoulders with the world’s best gamers and compete for more than US$500,000 in prize money.
“This is the first time the Hong Kong Football Association will send an esport team and to an official event under the world governing body,” said Eric Fok Kai-shan, vice-chairman of the association and the FA’s esport committee chairman. “Esport has gained huge popularity in recent years and we are happy to have the opportunity to work together in the cyber world to help promote football culture and sportsmanship.
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“We know Hong Kong has produced many quality football gamers. They now have a chance to prove themselves at a bigger world stage.”
Hong Kong are among the stronger teams in the region, but China, Japan and South Korea have dominated football gaming in Asia. Football gamers in Europe are even better with France winning the 2019 event when Fifa staged its first competition featuring 20 teams in London.
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Selection for the Hong Kong team started on Monday with interested applicants over 16 years old of either sex who hold a Hong Kong passport welcome to participate. Organisers are hoping to recruit 1,000 gamers, who will then battle for the five final spots.
They will first compete online in the Fifa Ultimate Team through either the PS4 or Xbox platforms for two rounds until the quarter-finals when four winners of each platform will move to the Cyberport for the final on April 3.
The top two winners of each platform will form the Hong Kong team with a reserve player from either platform. They will then be given more proper training in their gaming techniques and physical abilities before attending the world event in Denmark.
One of the entries, Chan Wai-chi, performed a demonstration at a press function at the Cyberport on Monday. Chan, a football player who represents Hong Kong in five-a-side and is a youth football coach, was the local Fifa Esport champion two years ago.
“You don’t have to be a good footballer to become a quality gamer,” said Chan. “But both are very competitive and under the pandemic more people are playing online games and we have the opportunity of taking on gamers from all over the world.
“I play video games on most weekends, spending three hours a day from Friday to Sunday. It’s still too early to say if I can gain selection and represent Hong Kong.”
