END OF AN ERA FOR TIMOTHY FOK
Timothy Fok Tsun-ting will step down as Hong Kong Football Association president at next month’s election, a source has told the Post, with chairman Pui Kwan-kay set to succeed him. Having succeeded the position from his father, the late Henry Fok Ying-tung, just before the handover in 1997, Timothy Fok – now 77 – will complete his third term this year at the election on June 27.
“He will not run for the election,” the source said. “He can still be in office for one last term of four years in accordance with the rules, but he won’t.” The association’s articles were revised after the introduction in 2011 of Project Phoenix – a long-term plan designed to revive Hong Kong football – with each presidential term limited to four years. There will be big changes to the board of directors – the HKFA’s decision-making body – at next month’s election, with six directors set to complete their terms, including the president, chairman and four others.
Nominations for the six positions closed last week, and it is believed all the candidates will be appointed uncontested, with Pui set to take over as the new president. That would pave the way for Timothy Fok’s son, Eric Fok Kai-shan – currently HKFA vice-chairman – to succeed Pui as chairman. “It doesn’t look that good if the father is president while his son is the chairman,” the source said.
Pui, however, would not comment on his future, saying only that he always intended to contribute to football development in Hong Kong, regardless from which position. “There will be an announcement made soon,” Pui, who took over from Brian Leung Hung-tak as chairman in 2019, said.
Leung was in the position for two terms, totalling eight years – the maximum period of time allowed in the role, as stipulated by the association articles – while Pui would still have one term left if he went for the chairman’s position again. Of the current directors, Ching Ming-yu and Chan Chi-hong will not run for another term while Matthew Wong Leung-pak, one of two vice-chairmen, will stay.
Chan’s departure is a surprise, as the former Hong Kong international is the only director who has had professional football experience. Chan Kin-wa