Sun Jinshun

Born in Singapore into a family from Dongguan, Sun Jinshun came to Hong Kong as a child. At the age of 16 he was elected to the school team of St. Joseph’s College. In 1924 he was discovered by the South China Athletic Association and invited to play in the First Division as inside-right. In 1926 he joined the newly founded Chinese Athletic Association, winning three consecutive titles from 1927 to 1930. In the game against the Philippines, at the 1925 Far Eastern Games, he scored his first goal for the national team while, in the 1927 and 1930 editions, he scored another six goals in four games.

In 1933 Sun moved to Shanghai and played successfully for the You-You and, later, Dong Hua teams. He was fielded for China’s only game during the 1936 Olympics, when his teammate Zheng Jiliang withdrew. Early in the game, Sun missed the best chance for the Chinese team to score. After the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, he continued to play in Shanghai for Li Do and again for Dong Hua. He retired after playing his last game for Shanghai during the 1948 National Games. Sun then started coaching the Navy team and various teams in Shanghai, winning the People’s Republic of China’s first national championship. He also held various positions in the Shanghai and Chinese Football Associations. Sun was among the many that were criticized during the Cultural Revolution but his reputation was later restored. He eventually returned to Hong Kong and died in a local hospital.