‘Brave’ Hong Kong football star Wai Yuen-ting gets her baptism of fire ... playing in Albania
- Wai Yuen-ting makes bold move to try her luck with Balkan club Vllaznia, hoping other women would take the plunge and play overseas
- The 27-year-old attacking midfielder made her European debut in a 10-0 rout against Juban Danja over the weekend
Hong Kong football officials are applauding Wai Yuen-ting’s bold move to ply her trade in unfashionable Albania, hoping more local women footballers would take the initiative of pursuing their dreams by playing overseas.
The 27-year-old star player left Hong Kong to begin a professional career in Europe with little-known Albanian club Vllaznia and Hong Kong officials think the move could inspire other local players to try their luck elsewhere, even if the club might not be a household name.
Hong Kong international Wai is on trial at Vllaznia, Albania’s leading club, who are based in Shkoder city and are leading the national league championship. The club have won all 13 games so far this season, including a thumping 10-0 victory against Juban Danja in a local derby on Sunday. The attacking midfielder was featured in the match, playing 60 minutes in her European debut.
“She is very keen to experience professional football even if it means she has to play in a little-known country, far away from home,” said Hong Kong women’s football manager Betty Wong Yeuk-ling.
