Hong Kong Singer Denise Ho Wan-see and football coach Chan Yuen-ting are featured in the BBC’s annual 100 Women list this year.
Ho, 39, was listed as a “Cantopop icon” and a pro-democracy campaigner “whose outspokenness has earned her the adoration of fans and has angered China’s communist rulers.”
Chan, 28, was described to be the first female football manager in the world to lead a men’s team to a domestic top-flight league title.
The list features 100 influential and inspirational women from around the world every year.
Denise Ho became embroiled in controversy earlier in June when cosmetic giant Lancôme cancelled a concert in which Ho was scheduled to appear.
The decision was made after Chinese state media outlet Global Times said on Weibo that Ho was a brand ambassador for Lancôme and linked her with the Hong Kong and Tibetan independence movements. Mainland netizens called for a boycott of the brand below the Global Times post. Protests in Hong Kong ensued.
Later, Ho held a concert at the same place on the same date, attracting more than 3,000 people.
See also: Interview: Politics and business are now ‘blurred’ says pro-democracy singer Denise Ho
Ho has been vocal in support of the recent pro-democracy movements, including the 2014 occupy protests.
“Do not say you have no choice. Everyone has a choice,” Ho was quoted by BBC as saying.
Chan, meanwhile, is the head coach for Hong Kong top-flight league club Eastern. Chan was the assistant coach of the team. She became the head coach in December last year, during the middle of the season when the previous head coach left for another team.
See also: Eastern Sports Club’s first female coach takes men’s football team to top-flight title
She led the club to win the Hong Kong Premier League in April this year, 21 years after its last top-flight title. Under Chan, the team also won the Hong Kong Senior Shield before being crowned as league champion.
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” Chan was quoted by BBC as saying.
