Hong Kong football "suffered one its darkest days ever on Monday" as South China announced that it is "withdrawing from the Premier League," according to Chan Kin-wa of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. The "best-supported and most successful club in Hong Kong history" said in a statement that it "would compete in the First Division in the new season to focus on junior development," which it said has been "lacking." The statement said, "It has always been the target of South China to develop potential players but so far we haven't seen this happen to help the sport in Hong Kong. Since last season, we have started a 10-year programme to nurture youth players and the decision [to play in the First Division] is also in line with this aim." South China has been a "stalwart of Hong Kong's elite division for decades." Its decision to pull out of the Premier League is "one of the biggest setbacks in Hong Kong football's recent history." Hong Kong FA Chair Brian Leung Hung-tak said that the organization accepted South China's decision at its board meeting on Monday, adding that "there was little they could do." Leung: "Their decision will certainly affect our competition but hopefully it can be minimized with other clubs such as Eastern and Kitchee getting stronger and stronger" (SCMP, 6/5).
