Huang Jiahe (businessman)
Hu Jiahe (Simon Wong Ka‑wo; born 1950, died 1951‑02‑18) was a Nanyang tycoon, the third son of “Universal Oil King” Hu Wentu. He founded the Chinese-language newspaper Sing Tao Daily and the Sing Tao Sports Club in Hong Kong. He died in an air crash on February 18, 1951.
Biography
Hu Jiahe was born in 1950 in British‑ruled Myanmar. In 1923, when his father moved the headquarters of the Yongan Tang business from Myanmar to Singapore, four‑year‑old Hu Jiahe accompanied him and attended Qi Fa School there. After completing secondary education, he enrolled in the Overseas Chinese program at Lingnan University and served as president of its student union.
In 1937 he planned to launch the Star‑Yue Daily in Guangzhou but abandoned the idea after the July 7 Incident. By his father’s order, he went to Hong Kong to found Sing Tao Daily, which debuted on August 1, 1938 with him as president. The paper’s success led to the launch of Sing Tao Evening News, Sing Tao Morning News, and Sing Tao Weekly.
In 1940 he established the Sing Tao Sports Club, recruiting top players from the South China Athletic Association with generous salaries. The club finished third in its debut season in the Hong Kong First Division Football League (1940–41) and led the league in 1941–42 before the Japanese air raids on December 8 ended the season prematurely.
During World War II Hu cared for many players, helped build schools for their children, and served on the selection committee for the Republic of China football team at the 1948 London Olympics. After the war, Sing Tao won the First Division League, Stanley Challenge Shield, Senior Shield, and Second Division titles in 1946–47, and in the summer of 1947 became the first Chinese club to tour Europe. Hu also sponsored Kitchee Sports Club to two league titles and led South China to its first postwar league championship as its football director in 1948–49.
Nicknamed the “Godfather of Hong Kong Football,” Hu’s dominance sparked criticism of monopolizing top talent, leading him to withdraw from the sport and return to Singapore.
On February 18, 1951 (Lunar New Year’s Day 13), Hu died in a plane crash on the Malaysia‑Thailand border while inspecting business operations, at age 32.
Memorial Cup
In his honor the Hong Kong Football Association and the Football Association of Singapore inaugurated the Hu Hoe Cup interport match in 1952. Revived in 1988 as a season‑opening contest between the Hong Kong league champion and a Hong Kong League XI, the competition ran ten editions until 1998.