Latest news with #sacrifice
South China Morning Post
21-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Devoted China father and son back in spotlight as son honours dad 15 years after viral photo
A manual labourer who touched the hearts of Chinese internet users 15 years ago with the sacrifices he made for his toddler child has received a Father's Day gift from his now young adult son. 'Father, please take care of your health. I hope I can share a bit of your pressure,' said Ran Junchao, 18, who used his pocket money to buy a watch and a coat for Ran Guanghui. The heartfelt gesture has moved online observers, especially when people discovered the way Ran senior supports his family. Proud father Ran Guanghui and his now grown-up son, Ran Junchao, are all smiles. Photo: handout Ran works as a bang bang porter, a specialist job in Chongqing, southwestern China, which requires physical strength to transport goods for customers by carrying them on your back. Bangbang labourers used to thrive in Chongqing, known as Mountain City because of its terrain, which vehicles found difficult to navigate. They became known as bang bang porters because that is how locals referred to the thick bamboo poles they used to do their job. In recent years, the type of work has diminished due to technological advances. Also, very few young people are willing to take up such a labour-intensive job.
Zawya
20-06-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Eritrea: Prayer Service in Connection with Martyrs' Day
Prayer services and sermons in commemoration of Martyrs' Day were held at St. Michael Church and Al-Khulafae Al-Rashideen Grand Mosque in the capital city, Asmara. In the morning hours, a prayer service was conducted led by His Reverence Abune Basilios I, 5th Patriarch of the Orthodox Tewahdo Church of Eritrea, along with heads of various dioceses and other Church leaders. Religious leaders from the Catholic and Lutheran Churches also participated in the service. During the event, Abune Basilios delivered a speech emphasizing the profound significance of the day and the solemn responsibilities it entails for every citizen. Merigeta Mulugeta Simon from the Office of the Patriarch, indicating that the martyrs paid their precious lives for their people and country, urged citizens to renew their pledge to live up to their expectations. Similarly, in the afternoon hours, Salat and Dua services were conducted at the Al-Khulafae Al-Rashideen Grand Mosque, led by Sheik Salem Ibrahim Almukhtar, Mufti of Eritrea. Sheik Salem Ibrahim said that the martyrs are our heroes who sacrificed their lives for independence, national sovereignty, and for us to live in peace and harmony. He also called for reinforced contributions in support of the families of martyrs. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
Japan Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Club World Cup is both blessing and curse for amateur club Auckland City
Adam Mitchell knows he is going to lose money this month. The Auckland City defender left his job selling houses in New Zealand to take part in the Club World Cup, where the eventual champion will pocket a staggering $125 million — while his amateur team plays for pride and an appearance fee still under negotiation. "My business runs on a commission basis only," Mitchell said Thursday after his side's humbling 10-0 defeat against European giant Bayern Munich at the expanded Club World Cup. "If I'm not back working, there's no income coming in. But a tournament like this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and that's what a lot of us have done." The Club World Cup's new, lucrative format has attracted criticism for its schedule congestion at the end of a long European season. Mitchell and his teammates — many of whom work as teachers, delivery drivers, and tradesmen — are effectively paying out of their own pockets for the privilege of competing on this stage. It is not just Mitchell's earnings that are taking a hit. New Zealand's labor laws typically grant around four to five weeks of annual leave per year — most of which, for Auckland's players, was already used up during last year's Oceania qualifying tournament. "The players that went to the qualification for this tournament, well, we played in the Solomon Islands," Mitchell explained. "That was three weeks. "Some people have run out of annual leave. People are kind of in negative days and taking unpaid leave. So, it's nice for people to know the sacrifices we make to be here." While the tournament offers prize money tiers based on performance, Auckland City, representing one of soccer's smallest confederations, will receive the lowest payout — a fraction of the $3.58 million meant for Oceania. Even that amount, Mitchell noted, is still subject to ongoing negotiations between the club and New Zealand Football. On the pitch, the gulf between part-time amateurs and global superstars was on brutal display. Bayern Munich, ranked among the world's elite, named a starting lineup packed with internationals, showing no mercy en route to a double-digit victory. "Conceding 10 goals isn't a nice feeling,' Mitchell admitted. "But I think we have to realize the caliber of team and caliber of players we were up against. "The fact that they did put their strongest team out and they didn't take the pedal off the metal at all, they just kept going and going and going, which, it's not great for us, but in a way that's a sign of respect." The heavy defeat has not dampened spirits within the Auckland camp. With two more games to play in their group against Benfica and Boca Juniors, Mitchell said he and his teammates are determined to leave their mark. "If you watched the (Bayern) game, you could see we never give up regardless of the scoreline," he said. Back home, Mitchell juggles the demands of a commission-based real estate job with evening training sessions and coaching duties at the club. His typical day starts early, squeezing in gym sessions before work, and ends late at night after training. "It's not ideal for my wife," he joked. "I don't get to see her that often, but she really respects the fact that this is a sacrifice that we have to make, and she also has to make. "(For her) just seeing myself and the whole team on the stage and obviously against the best players in the world, I think it's a really proud moment." Mitchell admits that while the financial hit stings, the exposure could pay off in other ways. "Maybe if someone was watching on TV and they realized I was in the industry, maybe they just want to have a chat and that's the way you can build some rapport," he said. To the critics who have questioned Auckland City's inclusion in a competition of this scale, Mitchell remains unapologetic. "We don't bother too much about critics," he said. "We've earned the right to be here. People have to realize we are semi-professionals, but we do treat training and we treat our club like a professional club, with the resources we have." "We earned the right to be here and we're proud to be here, and we're going to give it all on the pitch."
CNA
19-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
Auckland City's Club World Cup participation is a privilege with a price
MIAMI :Adam Mitchell knows he is going to lose money this month. The Auckland City defender left his job selling houses in New Zealand to take part in the Club World Cup, where the eventual champions will pocket a staggering $125 million — while his semi-professional team plays on for pride and an appearance fee still under negotiation. "My business runs on a commission basis only," Mitchell told Reuters on Thursday after his side's humbling 10-0 defeat to European giants Bayern Munich at the expanded Club World Cup. "If I'm not back working, there's no income coming in. But a tournament like this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and that's what a lot of us have done." The Club World Cup's new, lucrative format has attracted criticism for its schedule congestion at the end of a long European season. Mitchell and his teammates, many of whom work as teachers, delivery drivers, and tradesmen, are effectively paying out of their own pockets for the privilege of competing on this stage. It is not just Mitchell's earnings that are taking a hit. New Zealand's labour laws typically grant around four to five weeks of annual leave per year — most of which, for Auckland's players, was already used up during last year's Oceania qualifying tournament. "The players that went to the qualification for this tournament, well, we played in the Solomon Islands. That was three weeks," Mitchell explained. "Some people have run out of annual leave. People are kind of in negative days and taking unpaid leave. So, it's nice for people to know the sacrifices we make to be here." While the tournament offers prize money tiers based on performance, Auckland City, representing one of football's smallest confederations, will receive the lowest payout - a fraction of the $3.58 million meant for Oceania. Even that amount, Mitchell noted, is still subject to ongoing negotiations between the club and New Zealand Football. NO MERCY On the pitch, the gulf between part-time semi-professionals and global superstars was on brutal display. Bayern Munich, ranked among the world's elite, named a starting 11 packed with internationals, showing no mercy en route to a double-digit victory. 'Conceding 10 goals isn't a nice feeling,' Mitchell admitted. "But I think we have to realise the calibre of team and calibre of players we were up against. "The fact that they did put their strongest team out and they didn't take the pedal off the metal at all. They just kept going and going and going, which, it's not great for us, but in a way that's a sign of respect." The heavy defeat has not dampened spirits within the Auckland camp. With two more games to play in their group against Benfica and Boca Juniors, Mitchell said he and his teammates are determined to leave their mark. "If you watched the (Bayern) game, you could see we never give up regardless of the scoreline," he said. Back home, Mitchell juggles the demands of a commission-based real estate job with evening training sessions and coaching duties at the club. His typical day starts early, squeezing in gym sessions before work, and ends late at night after training. "It's not ideal for my wife," he joked. "I don't get to see her that often, but she really respects the fact that this is a sacrifice that we have to make and she also has to make. "(For her) just seeing myself and the whole team on the stage and obviously against the best players in the world, I think it's a really proud moment." Mitchell admits that while the financial hit stings, the exposure could pay off in other ways. "Maybe if someone was watching on TV and they realised I was in the industry, maybe they just want to have a chat and that's the way you can build some rapport," he said. To the critics who have questioned the inclusion of Auckland City in a competition of this scale, Mitchell remains unapologetic. "We don't bother too much about critics. We've earned the right to be here. People have to realise we are semi-professionals, but we do treat training and we treat our club like a professional club, with the resources we have," said Mitchell, whose side face Benfica on Friday.
Reuters
19-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Auckland City's Club World Cup participation is a privilege with a price
MIAMI, June 19 (Reuters) - Adam Mitchell knows he is going to lose money this month. The Auckland City defender left his job selling houses in New Zealand to take part in the Club World Cup, where the eventual champions will pocket a staggering $125 million — while his semi-professional team plays on for pride and an appearance fee still under negotiation. "My business runs on a commission basis only," Mitchell told Reuters on Thursday after his side's humbling 10-0 defeat to European giants Bayern Munich at the expanded Club World Cup. "If I'm not back working, there's no income coming in. But a tournament like this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and that's what a lot of us have done." The Club World Cup's new, lucrative format has attracted criticism for its schedule congestion at the end of a long European season. Mitchell and his teammates, many of whom work as teachers, delivery drivers, and tradesmen, are effectively paying out of their own pockets for the privilege of competing on this stage. It is not just Mitchell's earnings that are taking a hit. New Zealand's labour laws typically grant around four to five weeks of annual leave per year — most of which, for Auckland's players, was already used up during last year's Oceania qualifying tournament. "The players that went to the qualification for this tournament, well, we played in the Solomon Islands. That was three weeks," Mitchell explained. "Some people have run out of annual leave. People are kind of in negative days and taking unpaid leave. So, it's nice for people to know the sacrifices we make to be here." While the tournament offers prize money tiers based on performance, Auckland City, representing one of football's smallest confederations, will receive the lowest payout - a fraction of the $3.58 million meant for Oceania. Even that amount, Mitchell noted, is still subject to ongoing negotiations between the club and New Zealand Football. On the pitch, the gulf between part-time semi-professionals and global superstars was on brutal display. Bayern Munich, ranked among the world's elite, named a starting 11 packed with internationals, showing no mercy en route to a double-digit victory. 'Conceding 10 goals isn't a nice feeling,' Mitchell admitted. "But I think we have to realise the calibre of team and calibre of players we were up against. "The fact that they did put their strongest team out and they didn't take the pedal off the metal at all. They just kept going and going and going, which, it's not great for us, but in a way that's a sign of respect." The heavy defeat has not dampened spirits within the Auckland camp. With two more games to play in their group against Benfica and Boca Juniors, Mitchell said he and his teammates are determined to leave their mark. "If you watched the (Bayern) game, you could see we never give up regardless of the scoreline," he said. Back home, Mitchell juggles the demands of a commission-based real estate job with evening training sessions and coaching duties at the club. His typical day starts early, squeezing in gym sessions before work, and ends late at night after training. "It's not ideal for my wife," he joked. "I don't get to see her that often, but she really respects the fact that this is a sacrifice that we have to make and she also has to make. "(For her) just seeing myself and the whole team on the stage and obviously against the best players in the world, I think it's a really proud moment." Mitchell admits that while the financial hit stings, the exposure could pay off in other ways. "Maybe if someone was watching on TV and they realised I was in the industry, maybe they just want to have a chat and that's the way you can build some rapport," he said. To the critics who have questioned the inclusion of Auckland City in a competition of this scale, Mitchell remains unapologetic. "We don't bother too much about critics. We've earned the right to be here. People have to realise we are semi-professionals, but we do treat training and we treat our club like a professional club, with the resources we have," said Mitchell, whose side face Benfica on Friday. "We earned the right to be here and we're proud to be here, and we're going to give it all on the pitch."
