Hong Kong quits e-sports cup that could not show ‘China’ in team name

Hong Kong has withdrawn from the eAsian Cup because the football video game used by the esports event could not display the city’s official name – Copyright AFP/File Isaac LAWRENCE

Hong Kong has withdrawn from the eAsian Cup in Qatar because the football video game used by the event could not display the team’s official name which includes the word “China”.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China that competes separately in international sports, including at the Olympics.

How the city is identified at international events, however, is a sensitive issue and its sports associations are required to include “China” in their official names.

“Konami’s eFootball 2024 gaming application adopted by the AFC eAsian Cup 2023 is unable to correctly display our team name of ‘Hong Kong, China’,” the city’s football association said in a statement on Thursday.

“Upon days of negotiation with the organiser, no satisfactory solution could be found to resolve the issue.”

The body said it decided to drop out based on “the guidelines and advice” from Hong Kong’s Olympic committee.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Friday it “has been made aware” of the Hong Kong team’s decision to withdraw “due to unavoidable circumstances”.

“As a result of their withdrawal, and as stipulated in the terms and conditions of the AFC eAsian Cup 2023, all matches involving (the Hong Kong team) will be awarded 3-0 in favour of their opponents”, the AFC said in a statement.

Held alongside the Asian Cup in Qatar, the five-day e-sports version of the tournament began its group stages on Thursday.

Hong Kong’s sports bodies were told last year to include “China” in their official names or risk having their funding pulled.

Hong Kong’s ability to compete separately in sports has long been a source of local pride.

However, its Beijing-approved authorities have come to view that with suspicion — especially following the pro-democracy protests that shook the city in 2019.

Tensions between Hong Kong and China used to surface regularly at sports events, with local football fans known to infuriate Beijing by booing the Chinese national anthem.

After the democracy protests, Hong Kong authorities banned any insults to China’s national anthem.