Appeal comes after boos heard for March of the Volunteers at match against Laos on Thursday
Hong Kong’s football authority has appealed to local fans not to boo the Chinese national anthem at a match against Malaysia next week, but admitted it expected some to do so.
The appeal came after boos were heard for March of the Volunteers when the Hong Kong team took on Laos in a friendly at Mong Kok Stadium on Thursday night. The Football Association said the boos had been disrespectful and might lead to penalties for soccer officials.
A block of Hong Kong football fans were seen jeering the anthem before their team trounced the visitors 4-0. Some were even seen raising their middle finger during the anthem.
Hong Kong has seen a rise in anti-mainland sentiment in recent months, with some even calling for the city to break away from Chinese rule.
Vice-chairman of the association Pui Kwan-kay described the catcalls as “stupid” and “meaningless”, but said soccer officials had their hands tied in preventing such episodes.
“I cannot rule out more jeers in the next game as, honestly, there are no measures we can take to stop fans booing,” Pui said.
The crucial Asian Cup qualification match against Malaysia will take place next Tuesday at Hong Kong Stadium.
“Security guards can take away insulting banners from the crowds but can’t stop the boos,” Pui said. “We have appealed to the fans so many times not to do it as it is very disrespectful to the country and to the match. We are here to support the Hong Kong team.”
The recent trend of booing the anthem began two years ago in the wake of Hong Kong’s Occupy pro-democracy protests.
