A primary school in Hong Kong will host a late-night screening of a Fifa World Cup semi-final match on campus, generating excitement online, with many calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.
In a circular to parents, Chi Lin Buddhist Primary School in Tseung Kwan O said the event, scheduled for the early hours of July 15, aimed to give students the experience of a major sporting event.
The first of the football tournament’s two semi-final matches is scheduled for that night.
According to the circular, students and their parents are invited to arrive at school at 2.30am and encouraged to wear either school PE uniforms or football jerseys. The event is estimated to end at 6am.
The unusual arrangement quickly drew lively discussion on social media.
“It will probably be a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience,” a user named its_tshk commented.
“This is likely to be the school activity with the highest attendance of fathers in history,” another user named Wilson noted.
A mother whose child attends the school revealed that the event would fall on the first day of the summer holiday, creating a “unique and memorable experience” for the family.
Another parent, Cherie, praised the school for organising the live broadcast.
However, some users expressed concern for school staff, questioning whether teachers and janitors would be overworked by having to supervise students and manage the campus overnight.
“I just feel for the teachers, they probably want to watch the game with their close friends, not their students,” one user wrote.
Others raised the possibility that noise would affect nearby residents.
The school told the South China Morning Post that it would soon release a press statement in response to the public attention.
