ENG-1956 — Page 315

Chapter 21: Sport

WITH the exception of Winter Sports, there are now few forms of recreation which are not included somewhere in Hong Kong's Sporting Calendar. It may indeed seem sur- prising to a newcomer that so many different types of sport, derived from both Europe and America, can attract so much support within the small compass of the Colony. From Table- tennis to Soft-ball, from Fencing to Association Football, each game has its own enthusiastic group of players and supporters.

Soccer remains the biggest attraction so far as numbers of spectators are concerned, but Hong Kong's own game of Miniature Soccer (commonly known as Mini Soccer) has now probably the largest number of actual players. This game with 7 players a side, played on a half-sized football pitch, is the direct result of the local shortage of land for playing fields and from a 'kick about' has now developed into a properly regulated sport with its own Association. Some evidence of the game's popularity may be found in the fact that each week-end every available pitch is in use during the hours of daylight.

During 1956 Association Football had its usual successful season, including a variety of interesting visitors such as the Wiener Sports Club from Austria, a Yugo-Slav Team, Mohan Bagan from India and the United States Olympic Team on their way to Melbourne. In addition the Asian Cup Series held in September gave followers of the game an opportunity of seeing Israel, Korea, Vietnam and Hong Kong in a four-cornered contest. A key Match between two local teams drew a capacity crowd of 28,000 to the Govern- ment Stadium, which was opened in 1955 and is now the accepted venue for such games.

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