Primary school football players, principal undeterred by online abuse during tournament

A storm over online abuse has cast a shadow over Man Kiu Association Primary School’s breakthrough run at the All-Hong Kong Inter-Primary Schools seven-a-side football competition held before Chinese New Year. After racking up several victories over rival schools, especially after a 6-0 win that got them to the quarter-finals, the team received abusive comments and complaints about the physical size and height of their players. Several non-Chinese players, in particular, became targets of cyberbullying after that big win, with comments reportedly mocking their physiques and ethnic backgrounds. The bullying attracted more than a thousand people to watch the semi-finals and final online. Man Kiu eventually finished third, losing their semi-final to St Edward’s Catholic Primary School, who went on to win the event, which was organised by the Football Association of Hong Kong, China (HKFA). School principal Ivy Yip Shuk-ting said that all her players met the competition’s age and eligibility criteria. “Our students all meet the age requirement and we have also reported to the Education Bureau and the Equal Opportunities Commission,” Yip said. “But we will not let that stop us. The children love playing matches and love football, and we will continue to go out and compete, regardless of what others think.” One 12-year-old Pakistani pupil, Zakaria Muhammad, was singled out for being taller than most of his opponents. Muhammad moved to Hong Kong with his family in 2021. Now in Primary Six, he has a Chinese name – Lee Ka-wing – and can speak Cantonese, and admitted the online attacks were hurtful. “I felt a bit sad about it,” he said. “But we have to focus on how to turn those people down. You can do that. They might be jealous that you are achieving something – you just have to stay focused on your dreams.” Muhammad said he would stick to his dream of becoming a professional football player despite the controversy, and has been invited to train with Hong Kong Premier League team Eastern’s youth squad. “As the Kitchee captain said, on the pitch you can fight, you can be strong, you can be taller, but it’s not all about your height or your body strength – it’s about your IQ level,” Muhammad said. “Outside the pitch you have to respect everybody. Doing that kind of cyberbullying can really hurt someone.” Several professional football players from the Hong Kong Premier League, including Jonatan Acosta of Southern District, Ruslan Mingazov of Kitchee and Everton Camargo of Lee Man, have children at Man Kiu, with some of them making the school team. Among them is Bernardo Santos Camargo, son of the Lee Man winger, who plays for Hong Kong. The younger Camargo plays as a goalkeeper and started football only after transferring to Man Kiu in Primary Three. “Because of football I can make new friends, I can learn more things, I can learn how to speak better with my friends,” he said. “I also want to carry on my father’s legacy. I want to play for the Hong Kong team in the future.” Man Kiu’s football team comprises players from eight different nationalities, drawn from a student body that includes 33 countries. Karson Pang, a local Chinese player, said he felt no difficulty on the pitch when communicating with his non-Chinese teammates. “We get along well in everyday life, and our team has become much stronger because of their inclusion,” Pang said. Formed in 2021, the football team have collected a string of medals, including winning the 2024–25 Kowloon East Inter-Primary Schools Five-a-side Football Championship, finishing third in the 2025–26 Kowloon East Inter-Primary Schools Five-a-side and the 2025–26 All-Hong Kong Inter-Primary Schools Seven-a-side competitions, and taking the French Cup Football Invitational Tournament title. Principal Yip said she hoped the pupils had learned from playing the sport. “We want our students to learn from football, that it is not only about winning or losing,” she said. “They need to face success and failure and understand that the real focus is on the game itself, not on constantly worrying whether they are going to win or lose.” The HKFA has been contacted for comment.

Primary school football players, principal undeterred by online abuse during tournament

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Man Kiu Association Primary School’s run during recent seven-a-side event attracted cyberbullying over players’ sizes, ethnic backgrounds

Man Kiu Association Primary School’s run during recent seven-a-side event attracted cyberbullying over players’ sizes, ethnic backgrounds