Hong Kong talent drain: leaving is necessary for ‘more competitive’ environment in mainland China, footballer Sun Ming-him says amid exodus
- Versatile left-footer plays his second match for Cangzhou Mighty Lions against Chengdu Rongcheng on Sunday, after moving from Eastern
- The 23-year-old hopes to use his stint on the mainland to take his game to the next level by improving his finishing, decision making and mentality
Sun Ming-him is relishing a “more intensive and competitive” environment after swapping the Hong Kong Premier League for Chinese Super League club Cangzhou Mighty Lions, as local football endures an ongoing talent drain.
The city’s leading players are almost unanimously chasing or advocating moves away, with Sun’s fellow international Oliver Gerbig another recent departee and others disclosing their intentions to the Post.
Sunday should bring Sun’s second Cangzhou appearance, against Chengdu Rongcheng, after he made his debut in a 2-0 defeat to Beijing Guoan last week.
He spent 2½ seasons with Eastern before leaving at the end of last month, and credited the district club for “encouraging me to be myself … and [making me] motivated to improve in every game”.
The versatile left-footer was a key part of Hong Kong under-23s’ run to last year’s Asian Games semi-finals, and was the top home-grown scorer in the 2022-23 local league, with eight.
