From April 2021, I started working as the Head Coach of U-16 Hong Kong National Team and Elite Youth Director at the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA).

Life in Hong Kong

It’s only been a few months since I arrived here, but the public transportation system is well developed and there are plenty of stores where I can access daily necessities from Japan, so it is quite comfortable here. In addition, I am currently staying at a place that is directly connected to the subway station, and the HKFA’s training centre is just a 10-minute bike ride away, making my daily transportation convenient. To top it all off, I am constantly amazed by the quality of the food here, which is exactly what I’ve been told to expect before arriving in Hong Kong.

Daily activities with the HKFA

Dubbed as the “The Hong Kong 2034 Project,” HKFA has set their long-term goal for the “Hong Kong Team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2034.” We are currently in the midst of the 2020-2025 phase of the project, in which the development of the national team, youth category, futsal, women’s football, coach education, and grassroots are being set as goals under the “Vision 2025.”

Football activities in Hong Kong were being shut down for a long period last year due to the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the number of new cases in the city has been kept within a single digit since this April, allowing football activities to return to its normal state. With the support of the HKFA staff members, I was able to start my duties immediately after arriving in Hong Kong, such as the observation of the U-14/U-16/U-18 Premier Youth League (PYL), listing candidate players for each category of the national team, and making reports of training visits of each club. Following the end of the PYL season, we have started a training camp in July to search for new talents at the U-12 category, which was followed by two-week training camps of the U-19 (I joined as the assistant coach), U-16, and U-14 national teams. Furthermore, ahead of the new PYL season from September, I will support the reviewing process of the training evaluation criteria for this season’s club visits.

At HKFA, all the staff in each department are working tirelessly (with a lot of smiles) every day. And many coaches inside and outside the association have shared their stories about the influence and achievements of Mr. ADACHI Yusuke, former Elite Youth Director at HKFA, and treat me with great respect. I will continue to give my utmost effort to contribute to HKFA and the people of Hong Kong who are passionate about football.