Interview Transcript
Part 1: Football Story
Lucy 0:00
Hi, I'm Lucy from Passion FC and welcome to the career series. Today I have with me Ng Cheuk Wai, who is a team member and goalkeeper of Hong Kong Women Soccer team and also Taichung's Blue Whales FC of Taiwan Mulan Football League. Thanks for joining us in our career series! And to give a little bit more context, this career series will cover various players who are either playing professionally or are able to find time outside of their career to pursue football or those who have followed their passion in football to join the industry itself. We hope to show women footballers that having passion in football can provide you with opportunities in your career as well. And today's interview will be done in Mandarin, but English subtitles will be available. Let’s get started, Cheuk Wai, would you like to introduce yourself, like where you are right now, and what are you doing right now and who you are playing for, just tell us about your background.
Cheuk Wai 1:04
Hello, my name is Ng Cheuk Wai, and I'm from Hong Kong. Now I am In Taiwan, playing for Taichung Blue Whales, a women's football team competing in the Mulan League. Last year, a little after September, I joined this team. I'm a goalie on the football field, goalkeeper. Since I'm also from Hong Kong, so I’m also on the national team.
Lucy 1:39
I was just wondering how you got into football when you were a kid?
Cheuk Wai 1:45
Well, I actually started playing when I was about 16. I used to be a handball player back in middle school.
Lucy 2:00
I also played handball when I was young!
Cheuk Wai 2:04
My friend my friend! And then, in middle school the coach at that time asked me if I want to play football because they just started one at my school women's soccer team. I went to try it out. Because I was a handball player and a goalie too, so I probably react a little bit faster. Or maybe I'm not scared of balls as much. So, I joined them start playing football. At that time, initially, I was just trying to have some fun, but then I fell in love with football as I played more.
Lucy 2:52
So why do you love football so much, what do you love about football the most?
Cheuk Wai 3:01
What I love most about soccer, I like that the whole team, my teammates and I in the games have the same goal, which is we have to win this game, or we have to make sure that we have to win this season. That's the kind of thing that I really enjoy: a group of people, same goal, work together, fighting together.
Lucy 3:33
Well, in your whole football career, for you as an individual or your team as a whole. Have you ever come across difficulties or something, and how did you overcome these difficulties?
Cheuk Wai 3:48
Well, the difficult time I have been through was when I just joined the Hong Kong's women adult team because there were still some players who were older than me, so they are already very experienced. I was about 19 when I joined the adult's team, and I felt pretty nervous at the time. It's just when I was practicing with everyone, and if I didn't perform at my best or my skills are not up to par, I felt a bit nervous. Gradually, probably, after playing with them for 2-3 years. I got my chance to player as a starter at that time in Hong Kong. There was an international tournament, and that's when South Korea scored 14 goals against me, therefore that left a deep impression. I think that that game because so many goals scored against me, inspired me to work harder and motivated me to get better. From that point on, I decided to take my goals seriously and diligently work towards them. I think this was the biggest difficulty I faced. That's because it was my first international game and I let in so many goals. At that time, I cried after the game because I was really sad. But I didn't give up continue my journey of football.
Lucy 5:47
On the contrary, it made you work harder.
Cheuk Wai 5:50
Yes.
Stay tuned for our second segment: Career in Football