In June this year the Hong Kong men’s national football team achieved what many thought was impossible: They qualified for the 2023 Asian Cup (the Asian equivalent of the EURO) - for the first time since 1968!
Former All Black player Jahangir Khan was a crucial part of this success. The 21-year-old forward was born in Pakistan and moved to Hong Kong at the age of 10. However, despite his massive talent, it was still a big challenge to be valued by local youth clubs. In 2016, he eventually joined All Black - and with the support of the coaches and the team - he was soon able to kickstart his career.
In 2018 he signed his first professional contract with Happy Valley and in 2021 he joined Southern District under ex-Fulham player Zesh Rehman. The call up to the Hong Kong national team by new head coach Jörn Andersen is a massive recognition for his hard work and progress.
Next year, if all goes well, Khan will again don the Hong Kong jersey and represent the city while playing against the best in Asia.
When hearing about the donation campaign of football boots at a club sponsor, Escapade Sports, Khan was excited, as he knows how important this help can be for many young players in Hong Kong, who might not be able to get football boots easily otherwise. Escapade Sports have a long-standing shoes collection and donation programme, and provide 20% discount on new shoes while collecting pre-loved still usable pairs from their customers. Besides partnering with All Black Football Club on this, they have regular shipments of collected pairs being sent to renowned local charities like The Cross Roads foundation and overseas partners that help under-privileged children to fulfil their sporting dreams.
Aside from skills on the football pitch, All Black FC also teaches their players to give back to the community. Khan still visits the club regularly and will surely inspire many youngsters, as he has shown: No matter your background, you can chase your sporting dreams in Hong Kong.
