Latest news with #VeronicaChan
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Veronica Chan, ‘the mother of Asian women's football' dies, aged 102
Known lovingly as the 'mother of Asian women's football', the founding president of the Hong Kong Ladies Football Association (HKLFA) Veronica Chan Yiu-kam has died, aged 102. Pui Kwan-kay, president of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA), said Chan died on Saturday morning at her home in Tin Shui Wai. In a statement, her family praised her as 'a strong woman who contributed to society and was well respected by others', while the HKFA called her a 'legendary figure' in local football, and a 'pioneer and guardian' of the women's game in Asia. Born in Hong Kong on September 26, 1922, Chan had long been a prominent figure in football, having held the post as vice-president of the HKFA for many years. Her dedication to the beautiful game had its roots in an infancy, when Chan was bitten by the bug. 'When I was a kid I always played with my six brothers – never with my sisters,' she told the Post in 2003. 'I loved football. I didn't like dolls.'
RTHK
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTHK
Women's football pioneer Veronica Chan dies at 102
Women's football pioneer Veronica Chan dies at 102 The city's football association has described Veronica Chan's passing as an "unspeakable loss". Photo courtesy of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China Prominent women's football advocate Veronica Chan has died at the age of 102, following decades of contributions to the sport in the SAR and Asia. Dubbed the "mother of Asian women's football", Chan founded the Hong Kong Ladies Football Association in 1965 and was in at ground level when the Asian Ladies Football Confederation was formed three years later. She oversaw the regional body's merger with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in the 1980s, and was the chairperson of the confederation's women's committee until 2002. Chan also backed a number of football clubs in the city, including Yuen Long, Rangers, Caroline Hill and Sea Bee, and was the first owner to introduce foreign players from Europe to Hong Kong. In 2024, she was awarded the AFC Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions to football in Asia, especially in the women's game. The Football Association of Hong Kong, China, where Chan served many years at, said in a statement that her passing was an "unspeakable loss". "Chan is a legendary figure in Hong Kong football, and a pioneer and guardian of women's football in Asia," the association said on Saturday evening. "Her efforts not only changed Hong Kong, but also had a profound impact on the whole of Asia."
