Asian Games: meet the footballer with Japanese blood ‘ready to fight for Hong Kong’

Sohgo Ichikawa poised for prominent role in city team’s daunting opener against hosts and country of his birth

Five days away from one of the biggest matches of his young life, it would have been understandable had Sohgo Ichikawa reined in his efforts when his club team, Lee Man, faced Eastern District.

Instead, the 22-year-old buzzed about on Friday in the manner that has made him the outstanding young player of the early part of the Hong Kong Premier League season.

He will step out for the under-23s’ opening Asian Games fixture against his birth country, Japan, next Wednesday cradling fresh memories of scoring both Lee Man goals in a 2-1 win against opponents who last season boasted the league’s stingiest defence.

Ichikawa has already twice played against Japan: once on his senior Hong Kong debut, aged 17, as a late substitute in the 2022 East Asian Championship, then again off the bench when the city team lost 4-0 in the Games semi-finals three years ago.

A technically superb, direct and dynamic wide attacker, Ichikawa expects that next week he will be “more involved and one of the main players”.

“I’m more excited for this game [than the previous two], and I want to prepare myself to be as fit as possible,” he said. “Playing Japan is always much more meaningful for me. It gives me an extra boost to fight harder and perform better.