In a friendly football match played behind closed doors in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, the national team of Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city, beat China 2 to 1. It is the first time in 29 years that Hong Kong, a city of 7 million inhabitants, manages to win against China, which has 1.4 billion inhabitants and a government that invests heavily in football, albeit with modest results.
Commenting on the match, Jørn Andersen, the Hong Kong coach, alluded to the fact that the reasons for the victory would be partly political: “I didn’t need to motivate the team against China,” said Andersen, noting how his players they played with particular aggression. The coach did not explain what he meant by this phrase, which however was interpreted as a reference to the political situation in Hong Kong, where for years the Chinese regime has been oppressing the political and social freedoms of the population.
Hong Kong is a former British colony that was returned to China in 1997. For decades the city has maintained a high degree of political autonomy and freedom, which has allowed it to have a free press and a very lively social and political life. Among other things, Hong Kong was allowed to maintain its own “national” football team: the friendly match won against China was a preparation match for the Asian Cup, the tournament equivalent to the European championship.
For some years, however, China has begun to revoke Hong Kong’s political and social freedoms, which has provoked large protests, all of which have been forcefully repressed. For this reason, among the Hong Kong population there is a certain anger towards China, and it is probably this anger that Andersen was referring to when he said that his players were particularly motivated against the Chinese national team. Added to this is probably also a certain sporting rivalry, which is felt more by small Hong Kong than by greater China.
Among other things, in recent years sport has also become a reason for political conflict. There were numerous controversies, for example, because on more than one occasion Hong Kong fans protested during the Chinese anthem. Last year, China ordered the word “China” to be inserted in the names of all sports associations in Hong Kong: for this reason, for a few months the city’s football federation has no longer been called the “Hong Kong Football Federation”. but “Hong Kong Football Association, China”.
2024-01-02 14:53:05
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