Lee Kin-wo
40 years old, footballer
Meet Hong Kong’s most famous footballer. With flowing locks trailing behind him (much like Samson, he cites his hair as the source of his strength), Lee has been gracingfootball pitches across the territory for nigh on 23 years.
How did he get into the game? “It was interest at first when I was young. I like the sport, and also team sports. Football attracted me particularly; to use your legs to control a ball isn’t easy. There are a lot of challenges that keep me going back.”
As for his choice of hairdo, Lee says, “It was nothing at first, just an experiment to try the long hair style. But then when I had long hair, my luck on the field was just so good that I didn’t want to change it.” He’s also known for being a fine footballer, and has been crowned player of the year three times during his career. However, Lee’s finest moment came in 1994, in an exhibition game between Hong Kong side South China and Brazilian team São Paulo.
Although playing at the time for rival club Eastern, Lee and his teammate, the improbably named Dale Tempest, were loaned to South China for the one-off match. Lee ended up scoring the fourth in a memorable 4-2 win (Tempest scored a hat trick) over the then World Club Champions. With São Paulo boasting the likes of Brazilian internationals Cafu, Leonardo, and Zetti, Lee – and South China – could claim to be champions of the world.
On the flip side, his international record is more infamous than glorious. In an annual match between Hong Kong and Macau in 2000, Lee was sent off for arguing with the referee. Angered, he kicked the football at the ref’s head, only to have the official punch him in the back of the head (search ‘Lee Kin-wo’ on YouTube). Despite the occasional setbacks – and the propensity for Hong Kong fans to support international superstars such as David Beckham and Ronaldo over home-grown talent – there is still only one place Lee feels at home, “The football field of course. It’s our stage, and football is our performance. Every time we walk down the football field we’re full of confidence, full of spirit. It’s a place where I can express myself.” And the place where he became a hero. Simon Ostheimer
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