James Ha

James Ha

James Ha played for Kitchee against Hong Kong on 16 July 2011
Personal information
Full name English: James Stephen Gee Ha
Traditional Chinese: 夏志明
Date of birth December 26, 1992 (1992-12-26) (age 19)
Place of birth Middlesbrough, England
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Kitchee
Number 16
Youth career
2007–2008 Kitchee[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2008–2009 Shatin 0 (0)
2009–2010 Fourway Rangers 0 (0)
2010–2011 Hong Kong FC 11 (0)
2011– Kitchee 0 (0)
2011 → Hong Kong FC (loan) 4 (0)
National team‡
2011– Hong Kong U-23 5 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 June 2011.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 June 2011

James Stephen Gee Ha (traditional Chinese: 夏志明; Jyutping: haa6 zi3 ming4, born December 26, 1992(1992-12-26)), commonly known as James Ha and nicknamed Bullet, is a Hong Kong footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Kitchee. He is a member of Hong Kong national under-23 football team, but was born in England. He was awarded Best Youth Player of Hong Kong in 2010–11 season.

Contents

Early life

Ha was born in Middlesbrough, England and has a mixed heritage of English and Chinese. He came back to Hong Kong where his Chinese father resides and grew up on Hong Kong Island.[2][3]

Ha started play football and finished his primary education in The Salvation Army Ann Wyllie Memorial School.[2] After that, he studied at St. Joseph's College two years. After which he transferred to St. Joan of Arc and represented the school football team. During year 12, he moved to South Island School at 2009 and represented the school football team as an attacking-midfield. He was selected by Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation football team for the 36th Asian Schools Football Championship.[4]

Club career

James Ha had started played for reserves matches of Kitchee for joining Kitchee academy in 2007.[1] He left Kitchee academy to Shatin when he was 16, but he had no debut in the club. Ha entered Fourway Athletics a year later and still did not be sent to the football field for the team.

He joined Hong Kong FC soccer section before the 2010–11 season of Hong Kong First Division League. He made his first division debut on the opening match of Hong Kong FC drew NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po on 4 September 2010.[5] In the League Cup game on 8 January 2011, he scored his first goal in formal match on the 19th-minute and Hong Kong FC defeated NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po by 2–1 lastly.[6]

In January 2011, Kithcee signed James Ha with a 1.5-year-long contract after dealing with Hong Kong FC, but James Ha would continue to play in Hong Kong FC until the end of 2010–11 season.[3][7]

While James Ha playing for youth tournament Mediterranean Cup as member of Kitchee's youth academy in Spain in April 2011, Paraguayan club Guaraní approached him about playing for them in the Paraguayan Primera Division. But he concerned about playing so far away from home and rejected the offer finally.[3][8][9]

The first appreance of James Ha in Kitchee is the training match against Hong Kong national football team in Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground on 16 July 2011 for Kitchee and Hong Kong prepared 2011 Barclays Asia Trophy and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification. His first formal appreance is in a semifinal match of 2011 Barclays Asia Trophy against Chelsea in Hong Kong Stadium on 27 July 2011. Ha was sent to the field on the 82nd-minute to replace Roberto Losada, and Kitchee lost the game by 4 goals.[10]

After the rejection of Guaraní's offer and the postpone of Ha's university study, the new first division team for 2013 East Asian Games has founded and James was called up by the long-term training section.[11][12] Kitchee general manager Ken Ng asserted in what a choice depended on Ha and head coach Josep Gombau and Ng would make a decision after summer training in Spain.[13] Finally, although Ha did not be loaned to Hong Kong Sapling, he also has left Kitchee in the short term to study in United Kingdom.[14]

In November 2011, while James is in the United Kingdom playing for amateur side Salisbury City, it was revealed that he received a trial opportunity with Birmingham City's reserve team, which is owned by Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung. Kitchee said it will not stand in his way if Yeung's Birmingham City decides to recruit him.[15] On 8 November 2011, Birmingham City reserves lost to a couple of late goals in a private friendly at Wolverhampton Wanderers. James Ha made a substitute appearance.[16]

International career

In 2010, the Hong Kong Football Association have decided to play James Ha in an age group above his age.[2][3] Ha was just 17 when he played for the Hong Kong national under-23 football team at the exhibition matches against Guangdong under-23 team in 2010.[17] His outstanding performance in those two exhibition matches gave rise to that he can be the regular player of Hong Kong under-23 team.[3]

Ha was called up to the under-23 squad for the first formal game for their friendly against Chinese Taipei on 24 January 2011.[18] He scored his under-23 international goal in the match two days later, which against Chinese Taipei too.[19] For the first preliminary round of 2012 Summer Olympics against Maldives, he was sent to the field by head coach Tsang Wai Chung both two matches and he had one score each match.[20][21]

He was also named in the under-23 list squad for second preliminary round of 2012 Summer Olympics against Uzbekistan,[22] but did not feature in the first leg at the Uzbek stadium, which lost by a goal. Before the second leg, some media in Hong Kong claimed that Ha was the 'secret weapon' of Hong Kong team.[23][24] In the second leg, Hong Kong astonishingly opted defending formation and caused two losing goals to put Uzbekistan 2–0 up in 20 minutes. Ha replaced Au Yeung Yiu Chung in 34th-minute as winger and played as target man in second half. However, in a match in which Hong Kong were generally regarded as having underachieved and Uzbekistan won 3–0 on aggregate, he was widely considered one of the few successes of the Hong Kong under-23 squad.[25][26]

In August 2011, Hong Kong Football Association has formed the long-term training section for 2013 East Asian Games and Ha was selected by the association.[11] For the preparing of the games, Ha would be sent to a new first division league team consisting of members of the training section.[12] At last, Ha did not be named by Hong Kong Sapling and stayed in Kitchee.[27]

Honours

Individual

Career statistics

Club

As of 4 June 2011
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hong Kong League FA Cup & Shield League Cup Asia Total
2008–09 Shatin Second Division 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0
2009–10 Fourway Rangers First Division 0 0 0 0 - - 0 0
2010–11 Hong Kong FC First Division 15 0 2 0 2 1 - 19 1
2011–12 Kitchee First Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total Hong Kong 15 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 19 1
Career total 15 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 19 1

International

As of 23 February 2011
Hong Kong U23 appearances and goals
# Date Venue Opponent Result Scored Competition
2010–11
[28] 1 January 2011 Guangdong People's Stadium, Guangzhou, China Guangdong 4–2 0 Exhibition
[29] 4 January 2011 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong Guangdong 2–2 1 Exhibition
1[18] 24 January 2011 So Kon Po Recreation Ground, Hong Kong  Chinese Taipei 4–0 0 Friendly
2[19] 26 January 2011 Sai Tso Wan Recreation Ground, Hong Kong  Chinese Taipei 1–0 1 Friendly
3[20] 23 February 2011 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong  Maldives 4–0 1 2012 AFC Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament
4[21] 9 March 2011 Rasmee Dhandu Stadium, Malé, Maldives  Maldives 3–0 1 2012 AFC Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament
5[30] 23 June 2011 Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong  Uzbekistan 0–2 0 2012 AFC Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament

Personal life

James Ha has lived on Hong Kong Island for a long time and he loves playing football for leisure in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. He thinks there are many top players in Victoria Park and he learnt a lot of skills and sense of soccer in the park. Recently, Victoria Park always is closed for special events so he goes to the park in low frequency now.[2][3] Besides football, Ha is a rugby player and won the HKFSS Inter-School Rugby Competition in 2011.[31]

References

  1. ^ a b 2007–2008 Reserve Division, Hong Kong Football Association, 23 April 2008
  2. ^ a b c d (traditional Chinese (HK)) 起飛前　跑, Page 28–29, Keymansoho, June 2011
  3. ^ a b c d e f (traditional Chinese (HK)) 足球 - 高速夏志明獲南美球會賞識, i-Cable, 2 May 2011
  4. ^ Hong Kong Team List, 36th Asian Schools Football Championship, Hong Kong Schools Sports Federation
  5. ^ Match Results: bma 1st Division Football League - NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po 1:1 HKFC, Hong Kong Football Association, 4 September 2010
  6. ^ Match Results: League Cup - NT Realty Wofoo Tai Po 1:2 HKFC, Hong Kong Football Association, 8 January 2011
  7. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) "夏志明已與傑志簽訂一紙合約，至2011-12季尾。但他在今季餘下的賽事，將會繼續為港會出賽。" From the comment of Kitchee SC general manager, Ken K. Ng in Facebook on 7 February 2011.
  8. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 港小快翼受寵若驚, Oriental Daily News, 24 April 2011
  9. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 夏志明或登陸南美球壇, i-Cable, 30 April 2011
  10. ^ Live: Chelsea 4 Kitchee 0, Sky Sports, 27 July 2011
  11. ^ a b (traditional Chinese (HK)) 香港2013東亞運長期集訓隊名單公佈, Hong Kong Football Association, 9 August 2011
  12. ^ a b (traditional Chinese (HK)) 甲組新軍空降代淦源, Tai Kung Pao, 10 August 2011
  13. ^ "Whether he stays or goes to EAG13 is a choice for him and for Josep Gombau. He may mature quicker if he has more chance to play regularly. One never knows." From the comment of Kitchee SC general manager, Ken K. Ng in Facebook on 15 August 2011.
  14. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 傑志回收長春門將鬥大埔, Oriental Daily, 14 September 2011
  15. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 子彈橫飛伯明翰 夏志明英倫試腳, Apple Daily. 6 November 2011
  16. ^ Reserve report: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Birmingham City 0, Birmingham Mail, 9 November 2011
  17. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 香港奧運集訓隊　友賽廣東全運一隊名單公佈, Hong Kong Football Association, 30 December 2010
  18. ^ a b (traditional Chinese (HK)) 香港奧運隊　友賽擊敗中華台北奧運隊, Hong Kong Football Association, 24 January 2011
  19. ^ a b (traditional Chinese (HK)) 香港奧運隊　友賽再次擊敗中華台北奧運隊, Hong Kong Football Association, 28 January 2011
  20. ^ a b Hong Kong 4-0 Maldives, Asian Football Confederation, 23 February 2011
  21. ^ a b Maldives 0-3 Hong Kong, Asian Football Confederation, 9 March 2011
  22. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 2012奧運會亞洲區外圍賽第二圈　香港奧運隊 – 名單事宜, Hong Kong Football Association, 14 June 2011
  23. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 港隊秘密武器爭出線, Ming Pao, 23 June 2011
  24. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 奧運隊「乘風」襲烏軍, Sing Tao Daily, 23 June 2011
  25. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 2012奧運足球亞洲區外圍賽　港奧捱打再負烏軍出局, Apple Daily, 24 June 2011
  26. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 港再吞兩蛋衝奧失敗, Metropolis Daily, 24 June 2011
  27. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 科士打執教東亞運13, Tai Kung Pao, 19 August 2011
  28. ^ (Chinese (PRC)) 图文-广东全运队1-0香港奥运队 双方拼抢互不相让, Sina, 1 January 2011
  29. ^ (Chinese (PRC)) 图文-广东全运队2-2香港奥运队 双方拼抢先动手, Sina, 4 January 2011
  30. ^ Olympic Tournaments London 2012 - Preliminay Hong Kong Olympic Team 0:2 Uzbekistan Olympic Team, Hong Kong Football Association, 23 June 2011
  31. ^ (traditional Chinese (HK)) 夏志明手足都咁醒, The Sun, 23 March 2011

External links

Kitchee SC – current squad