Celts face West Ham and Leicester in Sevens event
Celtic finished runners-up to Kitchee in last season’s event and lifted the trophy in 2009 beating Rangers 1-0 in the final thanks to a goal from Paul McGowan.
The main tournament kicks-off on Saturday with Celtic playing HKFC Captain’s Select in Group B followed by games against Leicester City and West Ham.
Rangers, West Ham, Chelsea, Newcastle, Sunderland and Aston Villa are also taking part as well as a number of local clubs.
Last season’s Celtic side consisted of players from the u-17 and u-19 squads in a tournament with no age groups.
In the last eight Nick Feely saved three penalties in a shoot-out against Aston Villa with Marcus Fraser scoring the only goal of the game to beat Ajax in the semi-final.
The sevens event is the highlight of the footballing year in Hong Kong with a youth tournament and masters/veterans tournament running alongside the main professional competition.
Bringing in nine teams from the UK is an expensive business with the tournament gaining M status and backing from the local government due to the profile it attracts.
“This is a landmark decision for the Soccer Sevens,” said tournament chairman Tony Bratsanos. “The ‘M’ Mark funding and other forms of support will help the tournament realise its potential and become an even more significant event in the football calendar.
“We are extremely grateful to the Major Sports Events Committee for their guidance as we submitted our ultimately successful application. In addition, we are indebted to the Hong Kong Football Association for their staunch support.”
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