Super Typhoon Ragasa: football farce as Hong Kong matches proceed amid flooding

As the approaching Super Typhoon Ragasa sparked safety measures across Hong Kong on Sunday, the city’s football Premier League went ahead in farcical conditions.

Amid torrential rain, Tai Po’s match against Kowloon City at Sham Shui Po Sports Ground was given the go-ahead by referee Luk Kin-sun despite rainstorm and thunderstorm warnings issued beforehand by Hong Kong Observatory. Southern’s meeting with Eastern at Aberdeen Sports Ground also passed inspections.

In England on Saturday, Blackburn Rovers’ Championship match against Ipswich Town was halted when the pitch became unplayable following heavy rain. But not for the first time in extreme weather, Hong Kong’s top division continued regardless.

Dave Ho, the Kowloon City vice-chairman, said he had no issue with staging the fixture, insisting there was no concern over rebooking the venue with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department had it been called off. He thanked nearly 400 fans for braving the rain to watch City’s 2-0 defeat.

A saturated surface in Sham Shui Po prevented the ball from rolling naturally. On multiple occasions, rival players charged into heavy, dangerous challenges to compete for a ball that had stopped dead.