Hong Kong football’s Gigi Law sexism controversy worth it if change comes
- Allegations against Happy Valley head coach and player over HKPL’s only female referee can be force for something better
- Women have been among city’s best athletes and this is an opportunity for all sports to take a stand
It’s cruel that it comes at the same time as Stephanie Frappert became the first female referee to officiate a FifaWorld Cup Qualifier, Hong Kong’s Gigi Law Bik-chi has been at the centre of headache that the Hong Kong Football Association did not need.
While Frappert took the whistle for the game between the Netherlands and Latvia in Amsterdam on Sunday, in a game that ended 2-0 for the hosts, the fallout from comments made about the Hong Kong Premier League’s only female referee last week still rumble on.
So far though they have missed a massive open goal with their reaction – or more accurately lack of it – to the sexism row.
Would it have been too hard to issue a statement that denounced sexism while not tarnishing anyone ahead of the conclusion of their investigation – or any other form of discrimination – and saying that there was no place for it in Hong Kong football.
Hong Kong football has had much to trumpet when it comes to women in football, including investment in expanding women’s football, but not least Law herself who has been reffing for the last 15 years.
Hong Kong FA receives official complaint over football manager’s sexist post-match comments about woman referee
Then there is former Eastern coach Chan Yuen Ting who was the first woman to coach in the Hong Kong Premier League back in December 2015.
She made further history two years later as the first woman to coach a men’s team in the AFC Champions League – and the first globally to lead a men’s team in a top-tier continental competition.
That is a point of pride – and if not it certainly should be – for Hong Kong football but it becomes meaningless without continuing to break down barriers or at least prevent people erecting more with their prehistoric attitudes (though even Chan had issues with referees).
Hong Kong has gone from leading the way to risking falling behind, as Frappert’s achievements show.
The Frenchwoman became the first woman to referee a men’s Uefa Champions League match last year, breaking down another barrier by officiating the group stage meeting between Juventus and Dynamo Kiev in Turin.
Back in Hong Kong, Happy Valley’s director of football Poon Man-tik said Pau misspoke, when questioned after their last game. That might be the case, but the words Pau chose have no place in football here in Hong Kong or anywhere else, nor do they in any other sport for that matter.
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Pau might have to pay the price. There are many options available to the HKFA and the club on top of whatever the football authorities decide is fitting.
Both could really do with taking a stand to show the seriousness of the issue and while no one needs to lose their job – though a temporary suspension would not be draconian – there are other things that will appease the public indignation here and overseas.
A donation to charity or an NGO breaking down barriers for women in sport? Pui and Lam being ordered to give their time to coach the city’s young female footballers? Taking a course on sexual discrimination?
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Chan Yuen-ting named the world's first female coach to win a top-flight men's championship
These are all good options to use this as a learning experience for those involved and more importantly draw a line in the sand that this is not at all acceptable.
Maybe the next offenders are out, if the HKFA so decides and Law herself needs to be consulted on that. Losing Law would set back the next generation and the likes of her and Chan are to only be encouraged.
Football more than any other sport is going to be difficult if your foot is in your mouth but there should be no place for it across Hong Kong sport.
Women involved in football should be free of discrimination
If it is a missed open goal for the HKFA it is also the same story for the other sporting bodies in the city, who could just as easily have spoken out in support of Law.
Hong Kong’s women have long flown the flag when it comes to the city’s sporting success on the regional and global stage.
Windsurfer Lee Lai-shan won Hong Kong’s first Olympic gold back at Atlanta in 1996, Vivian Kong Man-wai is a world leading fencer and Grace Lau Mo-sheung is set to make a big impression at this year’s delayed Olympic Games.
Indeed most of the best hopes for posing with a medal alongside the Bauhinia flag in Tokyo this summer rest with womenwomen. Windsurfer Haley Chan Hei-man, swimming star Siobhan Haughey, cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze among them.
Nothing good ever started with the words “I’m not being sexist but” but if Pau’s comments – which did just that – can be used to force changes for the better then the heartache and headaches might all be worth it.
Football can no longer be an “old boys club” – it’s hardly bred success, has it? – but nor can any other sport. Not if Hong Kong is going to the best it can be.
