Hong Kong take football gold at East Asian Games
Monday, 14 December 2009
HONG KONG, Dec 13 (AP): Hong Kong enjoyed one if its biggest successes at the East Asian Games on Saturday when its football team beat Japan in the final to cap a day that included a handful of other gold medals for the host.
Cheered on by Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang and a capacity crowd at the 40,000-seat stadium, Wong Chin-hung scored the winning penalty as Hong Kong defeated Japan 4-2 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time.
The hosts beat South Korea in group play and North Korea in the semifinals.
"I want to thank all our players. They were ready to die for Hong Kong," coach Kim Pan-gon said. "It was a great night." It was seen as one of the biggest athletic victories this city of 7 million people has had since its only Olympic gold 13 years ago, when Lee Lai-shan won in women's surfing at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
Football is the most popular sport in the now semiautonomous Chinese territory, with fanatic fans frequently staying up until early in the morning to catch English Premier League, La Liga and other European fixtures.
The Japanese had taken the lead midway through the first half when Yuya Osako played back a corner across the goal and Taisuke Muramatsu netted with a right-foot shot.
Cheered on by Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang and a capacity crowd at the 40,000-seat stadium, Wong Chin-hung scored the winning penalty as Hong Kong defeated Japan 4-2 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw after regulation and extra time.
The hosts beat South Korea in group play and North Korea in the semifinals.
"I want to thank all our players. They were ready to die for Hong Kong," coach Kim Pan-gon said. "It was a great night." It was seen as one of the biggest athletic victories this city of 7 million people has had since its only Olympic gold 13 years ago, when Lee Lai-shan won in women's surfing at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
Football is the most popular sport in the now semiautonomous Chinese territory, with fanatic fans frequently staying up until early in the morning to catch English Premier League, La Liga and other European fixtures.
The Japanese had taken the lead midway through the first half when Yuya Osako played back a corner across the goal and Taisuke Muramatsu netted with a right-foot shot.