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Paul McNamara

He learned during six years in the United States to “enjoy life every day”, but Marco Wong Hin-sum had his joie de vivre tested during a period this season when he questioned whether he had a future in football.
Excellent in Tai Po’s FA Cup final victory over Eastern District on Saturday, Wong barely figured for the opening 8½ months of his first season back in Hong Kong after completing his university studies in New York.
A Tai Po native and “big fan” of the district club, Wong reached his nadir in February when, for the third time, he was included as an overage player in an under-22 squad but failed to get off the bench.
“I was pretty upset and thinking, ‘what’s my future in football?’,” Wong, 23, said.
“I had negativity and, at times, I wanted to give up but I stuck with it. I knew things would change. Sometimes, you need to wait – hard work pays off.”












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Wong spent two years at Northwood School in Lake Placid, where he achieved top-tier grades and played semi-professionally for Black Rock FC. He gained a mathematics degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, roughly 630 kilometres (390 miles) north of New York City.
“It was a completely different culture; the people had more passion, and enjoyed life more than I had seen in Hong Kong,” Wong said.
“Here, people think about their future, and what job they’ll do, but those guys enjoyed their lives every day.
“I grew up a lot in those six years. I didn’t speak much English when I went and had to learn to communicate with international students.
“In the college side [St. Lawrence Saints], I had lots of good teammates who influenced me as someone who wanted to play professionally. That’s why, when I first came back, I felt ready for this, both mentally and as a player.”
Back from university after his third year in 2023, Wong trained with Tai Po, where he had been a youth player, to stay fit.
Philip Chan Siu-kwan, the Hong Kong midfielder, was among the senior players who suggested to head coach Lee Chi-kin that he sign the midfielder.
“I had one week talking about it with my parents and the university,” Wong said.
“My family supported me a lot; they didn’t say anything about finishing my studies then coming back. I had a good season, played lots of minutes and won our best-young-player prize.”
A former Hong Kong under-16 international, Wong acknowledged that after completing his final university year he returned in 2025 to a “better team, with better players”.












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After five substitute appearances, he made his first league start in a final-day victory over Lee Man. The following week, Wong completed 90 minutes in the FA Cup semi-final victory over BC Rangers, before his “dream came true” when he began the win over Eastern District that secured Asian Champions League Two football for Tai Po next season.
“Sometimes, when the coaches didn’t give me minutes, I had other thoughts about them,” Wong said. “But it’s football, I couldn’t say anything.
“I kept learning, then when players left and others were injured, I needed to catch that opportunity.
“I’ve done OK, but there’s lots of room to improve. I don’t set high targets, I just try to improve from game to game.”
After a rare misplaced pass put his team in trouble during the first half of the final, Wong was bawled out by skipper Igor Sartori.
“I apologised a couple of times, then settled and adjusted my mentality,” Wong said.
“I told myself to just be me, to play simple and make no more mistakes.
“My teammates have looked after me, I have good relationships with them and it’s the right environment for me to grow.”


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Marco Wong (below) was excellent in Tai Po’s 2-1 win over Eastern District in the FA Cup final at Mong Kok Stadium on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua

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Lee Chi-kin (front, left) leads the Tai Po celebrations with Philip Chan. Photo: Elson Li

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A section of "The Rainbow" display of jerseys of footballing nations, one of the highlights of the Fifa Museum at Times Square in Causeway Bay. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Sport

Football

Marco Wong rewarded for patience and hard work at FA Cup winners Tai Po after period in cold led to fears over career


Marco Wong rewarded for patience and hard work at FA Cup winners Tai Po after period in cold led to fears over career.


‘Passion and fun’ of US helped change mindset of Hong Kong footballer who refused to quit

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Marco Wong rewarded for patience and hard work at FA Cup winners Tai Po after period in cold led to fears over career

Marco Wong rewarded for patience and hard work at FA Cup winners Tai Po after period in cold led to fears over career