Hong Kong football fans during the 2018 World Cup football qualifying match between Hong Kong and Qatar in Hong Kong. (Photo : YouTube)
Hong Kong Football Association was fined HK$40,000, or equivalent to US$5,160, by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) after HKFA's fans threw a drink to the opposing team and hissed the Chinese National Anthem while in a match in September.
According to Mashable, during a World Cup qualifier match, the "March of the Volunteers," China's National Anthem same with Hong Kong, was jeered by the Hong Kong Football Association's fans after a 2-3 loss to Qatar.
It is said that a carton of lemon tea was thrown onto the pitch, which aggravates the situation. According to BBC, Hong Kong's anti-Beijing sensitivity increased due to a wide scale pro-democracy protest in 2014.
FIFA said in a statement that "after analyzing all the circumstances of the matter, in particular the match officials' reports, Hong Kong Football Association's position as well as a previous warning imposed on the association, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to sanction the Hong Kong FA with a fine of CHF 5,000 and a warning as to its future conduct after being found to have violated articles... of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."
According to reports, a Hong Kong fans think that China is racist. It is said that the frustration of Hong Kong people towards China ignited when China Football Association's promotional poster described Hong Kong's team as black, white and yellow skinned.
With the recent incident happened, Hong Kong Football Association already appealed to its fans not to do it again as it will only lead to a heavier penalty.
