Goalkeeper out to ‘change image of Hong Kong football’, honest about city’s status
Tse Ka-wing accepts he could become best player in Hong Kong but still be ‘no one’ overseas where ‘keepers as good as me are easy to find’
Tse Ka-wing has set himself the target of helping to change the image of Hong Kong football, but the star goalkeeper has also delivered a withering verdict on the city’s status in the global game.
Tai Po No 1 Tse has been at the vanguard of various initiatives to boost the profile of footballers in Hong Kong.
Notably, he made his big-screen debut in a film produced by his club this year. Last week, the 25-year-old – who has made seven Hong Kong appearances – modelled on a catwalk with international colleagues Max Poon Pui-hin and Ng Yu-hei, as part of a tie-in with representative team sponsors Advance Denim.
“It is not common in Hong Kong to do these sorts of things, but in other countries football stars join events like this,” Tse said. “It lets people see we are not only footballers, and that being a football player can also bring other opportunities.
“I want to change the image of Hong Kong football. A lot of traditional Hong Kong parents think football players are maybe a bit rude, and that they, mainly, do not have good academic results.
“We can try to change this perception and show that footballers in Hong Kong can have a good manner, and do things like this [a fashion show].
