Hong Kong Football Association to invest HK$10 million in VAR system for start of 2023-24 season
- All Premier League and Cup matches will use the new technology, with Fifa officials to visit city and inspect set-up before giving green light
- HKFA plans to recruit a team of 20 video assistant referees for full implementation of the system
The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) will invest more than HK$10 million to install the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for all Premier League and Cup matches starting in the 2023-24 season, a senior official has said.
Head of refereeing Charles Cheung Yim-yau said the new technology will help improve the quality of the game in the city, despite the expensive outlay.
“More and more competitions in the region are using the system following the historic implementation of VAR at the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 Asian Cup finals,” Cheung, a retired referee, said.
“This has become a world trend in football and Hong Kong should not lag too far behind our regional counterparts, especially with the financial support from the government.”
Many of Europe’s top leagues have been using VAR for years, while Japan’s J-League, South Korea’s K-League and the Chinese Super League have also recently adopted the technology, along with a number of leagues in the Middle East.
Cheung did not elaborate on the exact financial resources required to fully install VAR in Hong Kong.
