The Asian Football Confederation is one of the six confederations that make up FIFA, and last winter, one of Pippa’s Guardians’ students, Ethan Yeung, represented Hong Kong and competed in the AFC U-19 Championship in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Ethan finished his IGCSEs in Hong Kong before moving the UK, where he has attended Bradfield College for his final two years of study. Looked after by Pippa’s Guardians MD, Ben Hughes, Ethan integrated seamlessly into life at Bradfield, particularly enjoying both the sport and social aspects of boarding school, alongside his favourite A Level; Sport Science.
Ethan began playing football recreationally at the age of eight, and at age ten he and his friends formed a district U-11 team for the summer. They subsequently won the summer tournament and lifted the Championship Trophy for the first time, further fuelling Ethan’s passion for the sport and spurring him on toward higher level competitions. He was invited to represent Hong Kong last year after becoming one of the overall top scorers in the Hong Kong U-15 Henderson league, whilst playing for the Kitchee S.C. U-15 team; Ethan was asked to trial with the Hong Kong Youth National Representative Team U-16, and was selected to the squad.
Ethan’s mother, Clara, had this to say about watching her son represent Hong Kong:
“We were extremely proud, happy and excited to watch Ethan play in international tournaments, especially at the U-16 and U-19 AFC Championship Qualifiers. I felt a truly heart-pounding, swell of emotion to see him walk onto the pitch behind the Hong Kong SAR flag and watching him stand shoulder to shoulder with his teammates during the playing of the HK Anthem. It was a culmination of all the time and effort on our behalf in supporting his commitment and hard work.”
Ethan said:
“I love being part of a team dynamic and the camaraderie of the players: the physicality and the physical demands of playing attacking football, and the rush of assisting and scoring goals.
I hope to continue to play competitive football whilst studying at University, and to turn my love of sport and fitness into a future career in Sport Science.”
Pippa’s Guardians would like to congratulate Ethan on his fantastic achievement and as he leaves Bradfield in the summer, wish him the best for his future and look forward to seeing where his talent takes him.