John Lee pitches five-year sports plan to AFC chief
SingTao · 4 SOURCESabout 5 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (李家超) met Asian Football Confederation president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa at Government House on Monday, welcoming his visit and thanking the AFC for supporting local football development over several decades. Lee said he used the meeting to introduce the sports development strategy set out in Hong Kong’s first five-year plan, which covers mass participation, elite training, major events, professionalism and industrialisation. He also said the government is stepping up support for team sports in line with the country’s push to develop the “three major ball games”, including football. Looking ahead, Lee said Hong Kong hopes to work closely with the Hong Kong, China Football Association and the AFC to attract more top-tier international football events, supported by Kai Tak Sports Park’s world-class facilities and the city’s role as a bridge between the mainland and the international sports sector.
Key Points
- Lee met Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa at the Chief Executive’s Office on November 9 and thanked the AFC for decades of support for Hong Kong football.
- During the meeting, Lee outlined the sports strategy in Hong Kong’s first five-year plan, covering popularisation, elite development, event hosting, professionalism and industrialisation.
- He said the government is strengthening support for team sports to align with the national direction of promoting the “three major ball games”, including football.
- Lee said Hong Kong has hosted many AFC club competitions and international matches, and that the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Challenge Cup second-tier final recently concluded successfully
- Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui, Hong Kong Football Association chairman Timothy Fok Tsun-ting and president Eric Fok Kai-shan also attended the meeting
Why It Matters
The meeting links Hong Kong’s broader sports policy directly to football, one of the team sports the government says it wants to support more strongly. If cooperation with the AFC and the Hong Kong, China Football Association deepens as Lee hopes, Hong Kong could use Kai Tak Sports Park and its cross-border connections to compete for more major football events.