Hong Kong’s men’s and women’s football teams have been confirmed to compete at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya, after the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) received official approval from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
The HKFA announced on Thursday that it had received formal notification from the OCA a day earlier confirming the eligibility of both teams. The confirmation allows the squads to proceed with their preparations for the multi-sport event as planned.
“The Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA) received official notification yesterday from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), confirming that the Hong Kong, China men’s and women’s representative football teams are approved to participate in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi–Nagoya,” the association said in a statement.
“The confirmation allows the teams to move forward with their planned preparations.”
The announcement comes after earlier concerns that Hong Kong might miss out on the football tournament at the Asian Games due to proposed changes to qualification criteria.
Reports had suggested that participation could be linked to results in the AFC U23 Asian Cup and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, potentially excluding Hong Kong from the competition and prompting widespread discussion among local football supporters.
Hong Kong’s men’s team enjoyed a historic campaign at the previous Asian Games, reaching the semi-finals for the first time and recording the city’s best-ever result in the tournament.
HKFA chairman Eric Fok Kai-shan welcomed the OCA’s decision, saying the association had been communicating closely with relevant parties regarding Hong Kong’s participation.
“We are pleased that the teams can take part and welcome the decision of the Olympic Council of Asia,” Fok said.
“This will benefit Hong Kong football and help players gain major-tournament experience.”
Fok also thanked the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC) for its coordination and expressed appreciation to the teams involved in the preparation work.
“We thank the SF&OC for its coordination and our team for their preparation work, and we will continue to fully support the representative teams,” he said.
