HONG KONG – One of Hong Kong’s best known soccer stars jumped to his death after an argument with his wife, reports said Saturday, as tributes poured in from the city’s soccer community.
Cheung Sai-ho, 35, was named the city’s most valuable player in 2003 and was a holder of a world record — scoring for the Hong Kong youth team 2.8 seconds after the start of a match in the Portsmouth Cup in Britain in 1993.
The talented midfielder, who retired from the sport in 2008, jumped from the window of his 36th floor flat after an argument with his wife, police said, according to the South China Morning Post and Chinese-language Apple Daily.
He was declared dead at the scene. Police reportedly said the couple fought over their relationship and money.
“He had good vision with good reading powers of the game. He could have been a good coach,” former Hong Kong coach Tsang Wai-chung told the Post, adding “his death is a loss to the soccer community.”
Cheung made 56 appearances for Hong Kong, scoring eight goals.