“Look Forward, Never Give Up”
|In 2005 the Homeless World Cup was held in Princes Street Gardens in Scottish capital, Edinburgh.
Cheong Wa Chau represented Hong Kong at the Homeless World Cup in Edinburgh in 2005.
Cheong used to have a successful career as a professional football player in Hong Kong. Eventually, however, his compulsive gambling took control of his life and his behaviour. When his football team terminated his contract as a result of his erratic conduct, he was unable to find work and turned to his friends for loans. Soon after, his friends broke off contact with him. In 2002, when his problems were at their worst, he became homeless.
Three years later, Cheong joined Team Hong Kong at the Homeless World Cup. Impressed by the friendly atmosphere and the helpfulness of the people he met, Cheong began to realize the importance of being patient and accepting other people.
“The experiences at the tournament last year made me want to become a soccer coach. I hope to share all that I’ve learnt with new players. As well as teaching them football skills, I want to lead a well-disciplined team.” Cheong now attends a coaching course and is helping to train a homeless football team. He hopes to show them that they can also regain their self-confidence through football, and that the Homeless World Cup is a tournament filled with applause, cheers, love, and hope.
Through his involvement with the Homeless World Cup, Cheong has regained his self-confidence and realised that with a lot of willpower, he can overcome extreme difficulties. When he returned to Hong Kong, he contacted those friends who had broken off contact due to his gambling addiction. He told them that he had turned his life around with the help of football, and although he realises that relationships take time to repair, he is determined to make things right. In his personal life as well as on the pitch, he has adopted the team's slogan: “Look Forward, Never Give Up.”
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