‘We gave it our all … nobody is talking about that’: Hong Kong men’s hockey team bemoans anthem blunder, fears for future if funding cut
- ‘If our own government does not even support us, the sport will die out,’ says 20-year-old player
- Athletes worry they may not be able to compete abroad if association loses its status as top sporting body
“We gave it our all and played our hearts out, yet nobody is talking about that. If our own government does not even support us, the sport will die out,” said Hong Kong team defenceman Yam Yi.
The 20-year-old player added: “Hockey is a sport that requires a lot of money. Every effort counts.”
The Post interviewed the elite athletes as the war of words deepened between Hong Kong’s sports federation and the city’s ice hockey association over the blunder in February when a protest song was again played instead of China’s national anthem.
The Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, reiterated in a statement released on Friday that possible sanctions were “on the premise that competition and training of athletes were unaffected”.
