Hong Kong postpones football fixtures as unrest continues

The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) postponed a pair of long-running inter-territorial ties in the latest sports events disrupted while the city reels from anti-China protests.

The decision affects the two-legged Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup and Hong Kong-Macau Interport fixtures, both due to be played in January, the association said on its website.

A decision has yet to be made on the annual Lunar New Year Cup, which is played in Hong Kong over the Chinese New Year.

Unrest in Hong Kong since mid-2019 over Beijing’s control of the former British colony has already forced the cancellation or postponement of international tennis, squash and golf events.

Football matches in Hong Kong have become a focal point for anti-China sentiment in recent years.

The HKFA has been fined regularly by global governing body FIFA due to fans booing the Chinese national anthem prior to World Cup qualifiers. (Reuters/NAN)