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By Dionne Yuen

Women’s football has been evolving for decades in Hong Kong and is gaining in popularity.

The Hong Kong Ladies Football Association was established in 1965. Ms. Veronica Chan is president.

“In 1965, a football team in Malaysia invited us for a match.

“Because we did not have any female football teams in Hong Kong, I was invited to train a team of female football players in order to join the competition, and I accepted,?Ms. Chan said.

Henceforth, women’s football took its first step in Hong Kong.

Miss Lam Siu Ying, coach of the Hong Kong ladies football representative team, said that women’s football was unpopular in the past.

“People regarded playing football as a sport belonging to men. They were too conservative.

“Until now, the general public still stereotypes female football players as tomboys,? Miss Lam said.

Ms. Lai Fung, a former women's football player of the representative team in '70s, is the sports administrator at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.

She said that they participated in only a few competitions in the past.

“We just had one competition in Taiwan and some performances as a prologue to men's football competition.

“The standard of women's football in Hong Kong was quite high in the early stages, but it is gradually regressing,?said she.

Miss Lam said that the best performances by the Hong Kong women's football team were coming in fourth and fifth in the Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Championships in 1989 and 1991.

“In 1990, it was the first time for the Hong Kong women's football team to participate in the Asian Games.

“It was a large scale competition with many top-notch football teams,?said she.

After about 40 years of women's football, a women's football league was launched recently for all amateur women football teams in Hong Kong.

Seven women football teams participate in the league. They are Sha Tin Sports, Sports Girls, Podao, Kwai Tsing, Kashan, Kong Tsing and Yuet Muk.

They improve skills and strategies by competing with other teams in the league.

Talented players are recruited by the Hong Kong representative team.

Besides the Hong Kong representative team, the Hong Kong Ladies Football Association recently set up a representative team for people under 18.

Ms. Flora Kwong is a member of the representative team.

“You get a sense of achievement when you score a goal in a football match,?said Ms. Kwong.

Said Ms. Chan, the president: “It is good to bring teenagers to green and healthful places.?

However, a shortage of resources has hindered the development of women's football in Hong Kong.

Said Ms. Chan: “What we lack are financial support, facilities and time.

“It is impossible to earn a living in Hong Kong by playing football, even for male football players.?/font>

Mr. Choi Hok Fu is the coach at the Sha Tin Sports Association.

He said that besides financial obstacles, recruitment of football players and time arrangements for practices also hinder its growth.

“We are training a team under 18. Whenever players have examinations or any tests, they have to stop practising and concentrate on studies,?said Mr. Choi.

Hence they can practise only on Friday nights and Saturdays.

However, booking a football court on Saturdays or Sundays is difficult because most fields and courts are already booked, according to Mr. Choi.

Ms. Pauline So is an assistant coach at the Sha Tin Sports Association and an undergraduate in the Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong.

She said being an amateur football player does not greatly affect her studies.

“Whether playing football is time consuming or not depends on your willingness to sacrifice. You have to allocate your time,?said Ms. So.

In fact, most interviewees agreed that the association should work harder to promoting women's football.

Ms. So hopes that the association increases its transparency and becomes more open to the public.

“We do not know the schedule of the league or the annual plans of the association, so it is difficult for us to have long-term plans.

“Moreover, the structure of the association is not well organised,?said Ms. So.

Ms. Chan Shuk Chi is the coach of Kwai Tsing Football Association.

She said that an irregular league schedule and unsystematic regulations make it hard for the media to follow news on women's football.

Even though the government has increased subsidies and provide facilities, the progress seems to be rather slow.

“The government does know about the existence of the problem, but no action has been taken to deal with it,?said Ms. Chan.