World Cup Fever Returns: Learning Emotional Management on the Pitch

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – The four-yearly World Cup is in full swing, and the football fever once again sweeps the globe. The pitch has long been known as a “proving ground” for heroes; even for world-class players with years of experience, the joy of scoring a goal is often balanced by the sight of others in tears, frustrated by a defeat. The prowess of these players will be etched into the hearts of countless children, inspiring a lifelong love for the sport.

Save the Children Hong Kong firmly believes that the football pitch is more than just a venue for competition—it is an ideal classroom for Social-emotional Learning. For eight-year-old Kai-long, the setbacks and failures experienced on the pitch have proven far more vital to his personal growth than mastering technical skills or perfecting “step-overs”.

The Play to Thrive programme empowers children to master emotional management and communication skills while staying active in sports. Compared to a “Zidane turn”, these are the skills that will truly serve them for a lifetime.

On the training ground, eight-year-old Kai-long’s skills are clearly “a cut above the rest”. From the way he carries the ball to the power of his strikes, he already carries himself like a mini professional. During internal matches, he frequently finds the back of the net, scoring multiple goals for his side.

However, the moments that truly bring a smile of approval to the coaches and teachers are not Kai-long’s technical displays, but his small yet heart-warming gestures. For instance, he is seen helping teammates by steadying the inflatable goalposts during shooting drills. Even when knocked down during a match, if the coach does not blow for a foul, Kai-long doesn’t complain; he simply brushes it off with a smile and gets straight back to chasing the ball.

When Excellence Becomes a Burden: Children Trapped by the Need to Win

“He has a personality that tends to be quite fixated on winning and losing. Because of his own performance, or because his classmates’ performance didn’t meet his expectations, he would sometimes experience emotional ups and downs,” explains Mr. Lui, the PE teacher. He admits that while Kai-long’s football skills are outstanding, his stubborn nature previously caused friction with teammates and classmates. Mr. Lui noted that since Kai-long was already a member of the school’s reserve team, he recommended him for the Play to Thrive programme not to “learn football”, but in the hope that he would learn how to get along with others.

Consequently, what moved Mr. Lui the most was not Kai-long’s “goal-scoring show”, but his reaction during a match when other students deliberately moved the inflatable goalposts. Instead of complaining or losing his temper as he might have done in the past, Kai-long continued to play with a smile on his face. “Previously, he might have called it unfair or had an emotional outburst, but today he didn’t complain; he even found it quite funny. He is no longer fixated on winning or losing.”

In the eyes of his father, Chung, Kai-long has been a child with extremely high expectations of himself and a drive for perfection since he was young. “Whether it is schoolwork or his behaviour, he hopes to be a good role model and be very well-behaved.” However, Chung also mentioned that this perfectionist streak serves as a source of pressure for Kai-long.

Interpersonal Skills Are More Important Than Footballing Ability

Chung admits that Kai-long used to be very fixated on winning and losing: “In the past, if he lost a game of football against his elder brother, he would be resentful; when he was younger, he even tried to hit him.” While it is natural to crave goals and seek victory on the pitch, Chung also believes that how one treats others and interacts with peers is a vital part of growing up, which is why he enrolled Kai-long in Play to Thrive.

“Football is a natural educational tool,” says Ms. Wong Shek Hung, Director of Hong Kong Programmes at Save the Children Hong Kong. She explains that experiencing victory, defeat, and frustration is inevitable in sports, providing the perfect opportunity for children to learn emotional management. She adds that Play to Thrive originated from a community football programme developed by Save the Children UK for children in Jordan and Indonesia.

The core of the programme lies in integrating Social-emotional Learning into football training to help children build five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Furthermore, the programme is open to all children regardless of gender, ethnicity, or background, allowing them to master self-awareness, emotional regulation, and team communication skills within a diverse and inclusive environment.

No Ordinary Football Training

As this is unlike conventional football training, every coach is required to undergo professional training covering “Child Safeguarding” and emotional support knowledge. Ms. Wong Shek Hung notes that during the “debriefing” session at the end of each practice, coaches guide the children to reflect on their experiences on the pitch, attempting to translate these moments into emotional literacy. The ultimate goal is “to let children learn how to become ‘masters of their own emotions’.”

Demonstrating Personal Growth and Cultivating Leadership Skills

Mr. Lui noticed that after joining the programme, Kai-long not only showed progress in his personal emotional management but also learned how to consider things from others’ perspectives. During PE lessons, Kai-long has become more willing to take the initiative to help his classmates and has learned to accept teammates with different abilities, even proactively coaching others. “He gets along with his classmates much more harmoniously now; the barriers that existed before have disappeared,” Mr. Lui remarked. He further revealed that Kai-long’s form teacher, having observed this growth, officially appointed him as a class monitor for the second term.

His father, Chung, observed that since joining the programme, Kai-long has demonstrated a level of resilience rarely seen before. He recalled a match where Kai-long served as both captain and goalkeeper; even when facing conceded goals and falling behind, “his first instinct wasn’t to feel discouraged, but rather to keep encouraging his teammates from the back to keep running and keep attacking.”

Ms. Wong Shek Hung reaffirmed that this is precisely the philosophy of Play to Thrive: “We emphasise ‘Football Second, Growth First’, ensuring that even if children lose a match, they learn to handle their emotions, communicate, and cooperate throughout the process.”

Building Resilience: Transforming Lives Through Football

Ms. Kalina Tsang, CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong, stated that she has always believed football is a powerful tool for building resilience in children: “We have always been concerned about children’s physical and mental well-being. Football is more than just a sport; beyond honing technical skills, it can be used to build a child’s resilience. By combining football training with Social-emotional Learning, and under the guidance of professionally trained coaches, Play to Thrive ensures that the sweat shed by children on the pitch is transformed into self-awareness and emotional management skills.” Ms. Tsang also noted that Kai-long’s growth perfectly embodies the programme’s success. She said, “We are deeply gratified to see Kai-long progress from initial emotional fluctuations to confidently cooperating with teammates and facing victory or defeat positively—improving both on a personal level and in his interactions with peers.”

As for Kai-long himself, it is difficult for an eight-year-old to describe his transformation in detail. But when asked what was different about him, he said with an innocent smile, “I used to blame my teammates for not passing the ball, but now I’ve learned not to. I tell them: ‘It’s okay, pass it again next time. We’ll win the ball back together.'”

Launched in Hong Kong in 2023, the Play to Thrive programme is a service that integrates Social-emotional Learning with football training. It aims to create a safe and supportive space for schoolchildren, promoting their physical, social, and mental health through sport. The programme currently operates across various districts in Hong Kong, including community teams in areas such as Sham Shui Po and Tin Shui Wai. The school-based project collaborates with over 30 primary schools across the territory, integrating football training into school life to help students recognise and manage their emotions, build healthy interpersonal relationships, and enhance their confidence and resilience. In response to the current situation where up to 39% of primary and secondary students in Hong Kong face mental health challenges, the programme places special emphasis on SEL to help children master effective communication and emotional management both on and off the pitch.

In 2025 alone, the community and school projects of Play to Thrive held a total of 744 training sessions, with total service hours exceeding 1,000 hours. The programme reached 1,120 children and their families across Hong Kong, establishing close partnerships with 32 schools and 4 non-profit organisations. In terms of impact assessment, participant satisfaction was high, with satisfaction rates for the community and school projects reaching 80% and 75%, respectively.

Interview Video: https://savethechildren.click/PTT-KaiLong-Video-2026
Hashtag: #SavetheChildrenHongKong #香港救助兒童會 #mentalhealth #精神健康 #football #足球 #WorldCup #世界盃

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Save the Children Hong Kong

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In Hong Kong and around the world, we do whatever it takes – every day and in times of crisis – so children can fulfil their rights to a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. With over 100 years of expertise, we are the world’s first and leading independent children’s organisation – transforming lives and future.

Established in 2009, Save the Children Hong Kong is part of the global movement which operates in around 100 countries. We work with children, families, schools, communities and our supporters to deliver lasting change for children in Hong Kong and around the world.

• Competition rises as the top risk, reflecting intensifying markets, while workplace safety accountability remains high amid a stricter regulatory environment
• Liquidity and natural catastrophe risks point to growing pressure on financial resilience

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today released the findings from South Korea for its 2025 Global Risk Management Survey, revealing that competition, workplace safety accountability and financial pressures are shaping the country’s risk agenda.

The survey, which gathered responses from nearly 3,000 organisations across 63 countries and 16 industries, highlights a risk environment shaped by digital transformation, economic uncertainty, geopolitical pressures and climate exposure.

Competition Tops the Risk Agenda in Korea

According to the survey, “Increasing competition” is the number one risk for organisations in Korea, compared with fifth globally. It also ranks as the top future risk over the next three years. The findings point to pressures in Korea’s market environment, where a relatively concentrated domestic market and high industry density are driving sustained competition.

Half of Korean respondents report financial losses linked to competition, above both the Asia Pacific (APAC) benchmark of 44.1 percent across APAC and global benchmark of 42.8 percent. Despite this impact, only 17.4 percent of Korean organisations report having a formal plan or review in place for competition risk, highlighting an opportunity to strengthen preparedness relative to exposure.

For Korean businesses, competition is no longer just a commercial issue – it is becoming a material driver of financial outcomes, with implications for margin pressure, investment capacity and long-term growth. This dynamic is closely linked to financial resilience, with sustained competition increasing the importance of liquidity and capital allocation decisions as businesses invest to maintain market position.

“Korea’s risk profile shows how structural market pressures are translating into tangible business impact,” said, Terence Williams, head of Commercial Risk for Aon in APAC. “Competition, regulation and financial volatility are converging, increasing the need for more connected risk strategies that link resilience with capital and growth decisions.”

Workplace Safety Accountability Remains a Major Concern

“Workplace accidents” remain among the top risks for Korean organisations, driven by stronger regulatory enforcement and increased accountability for organisations and senior management under the expanded Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Survey responses show that 64.3 percent of Korean organisations have a plan or formal review in place for work injuries, while over half (57.1 percent) are evaluating insurance or risk transfer solutions for this exposure. This suggests that workplace safety is being treated not only as a compliance requirement, but as a material governance and financial priority.

Financial Resilience Is Increasing in Importance

Natural catastrophe and liquidity risks are increasing in importance within Korea’s risk profile. “Weather and natural disasters” rank sixth among current risks, while “cash flow and liquidity risk” returns to the top 10 for the first time since 2019.While Korea is less exposed to large-scale catastrophe events than some APAC markets, recent extreme weather has still resulted in significant economic losses, including wildfires and flooding in 2025.

At the same time, cash flow and liquidity pressures are intensifying amid macroeconomic volatility, trade uncertainty and sustained competitive pressure. Survey data show that 78.6 percent of Korean organisations have a plan or formal review in place for liquidity risk – the highest level of preparedness among all top risks. The findings indicate that liquidity is closely linked to competitiveness, with sustained investment in talent, expansion and technology critical to maintaining market position.

2025 Top Ten Business Risks for Korea

The breadth of risks shaping Korea’s business environment is reflected in the current top ten rankings:

1. Increasing Competition
2. Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery
3. Business Interruption
4. Work Injuries
5. Property Damage
6. Weather/Natural Disasters
7. Regulatory/Legislative Changes
8. Exchange Rate Fluctuation
9. Cash Flow/Liquidity Risk
10. Cyber Attacks/Data Breach

Future Risks Outlook

The findings suggest that Korean businesses are navigating an increasingly complex risk landscape shaped by both domestic pressures and global disruptions. “Increasing competition” remains the top future risk, while “cyber attacks and data breaches” continue to rise as organisations adapt to evolving operating environments.

Looking ahead, the survey highlights how these risks are expected to evolve as businesses position for growth:

1. Increasing Competition
2. Economic Slowdown/Slow Recovery
3. Work Injuries
4. Regulatory/Legislative Changes
5. Cyber Attacks/Data Breach

A Greater Need for Structured, Data-Led Risk Management

The findings highlight a clear opportunity for Korean organisations to strengthen how risk is measured, managed and linked to strategic decision making. Compared with global peers, adoption of enterprise-wide risk management frameworks and quantitative analysis remains relatively limited. For example, only 22.2 percent of Korean organisations report that they have assessed increasing competition risk, and the same proportion report having developed continuity or risk management plans for it.

Cyber risk appears more mature, with 33.3 percent of organisations having developed continuity plans for cyber exposures.

More broadly, only 25 percent of Korean organisations report using a structured, enterprise-wide process to identify major risks, and just 2.9 percent use quantitative analytics tools to model risk scenarios and insurance strategies.

“The survey highlights a clear opportunity for Korean organisations to strengthen enterprise risk management and analytics capabilities,” said Kevin Kim, CEO of Korea for Aon. “By building stronger internal data, processes and expertise, businesses can move from reacting to risk toward making more confident, forward-looking decisions that support growth and capital efficiency.”

Hashtag: #Aon

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About Aon

Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Through actionable analytic insight, globally integrated Risk Capital and Human Capital expertise, and locally relevant solutions, our colleagues provide clients in over 120 countries with the clarity and confidence to make better risk and people decisions that help protect and grow their businesses.

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The Image-Makers Look in the Mirror, and Like What They See (Mostly)

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – The Hong Kong public relations industry has a renewed sense of optimism, driven by the revival of the IPO market and expanding opportunities in technology and travel, according to the results of the 2026 PRHK Benchmark Survey. While agency leaders rated the 2025 business environment as a muted 2.50 out of 5, sentiment for 2026 climbed significantly to 3.08 out of 5.

Some key findings:

• The “GBA Paradox”: While there is a lot of talk about the Greater Bay Area’s promise, an overwhelming 73.3% of Hong Kong PR agencies currently generate no revenue at all from the GBA. The Hong Kong government’s recent launch of the GoGlobal connect platform, which can also connect agencies to Chinese companies, is one example of an opportunity to redress the situation.
• AI Adoption Gap: The PR sector has moved quickly to adopt AI: 81.3% of agencies now use ChatGPT, but 75% of agency leaders still flag AI as a top industry issue, struggling to bridge the gap between experimenting with tools and building disciplined, enterprise-wide operational workflows.
• Culture Trumps Cash: Defying the “revolving door” stereotype of agency life, the industry boasts a remarkably healthy median retention rate of 84.5%. When asked what keeps talent from leaving, 87.5% of leaders cited company culture as their number-one retention driver, completely eclipsing base compensation (43.8%).

Produced by Public Relations Hong Kong (PRHK) in collaboration with the Centre for Communication and Public Opinion Survey at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the report captures an industry successfully navigating structural challenges while keeping a firm eye on renewed growth.

Financial Services, Tech, and Tourism Lead Growth
When forecasting growth for the next 12 months, 75.0% of agency leaders identified financial services, specifically banking, insurance, and fintech, as the sector with the most potential. This optimism is largely fueled by the anticipated revival of Hong Kong’s IPO market, which is expected to generate significant communications mandates. Technology and travel/tourism tied for second, each cited by 56.3% of respondents as key growth drivers for the year ahead.

Penn Leung, Chairperson of PRHK, noted: “The Hong Kong PR industry is demonstrating remarkable resilience. While budget pressures and talent challenges remain, our agencies are adapting and showing a renewed sense of cautious optimism for 2026. The expected return of financial market activity and the structural expansion of tech and tourism prove that strategic communications counsel is more relevant than ever.”

Budget Pressures and the Threat of Fee Discounting
Pricing and client budgets remain the industry’s most pressing vulnerabilities. An overwhelming 81.3% of agency leaders cited shrinking client budgets as their number-one challenge for the coming year. Consequently, 68.8% of Hong Kong PR agencies admitted to discounting their professional fees in the last financial year to win assignments. The report warns that discounting at this scale carries compounding consequences, pushing down market fees and threatening the perceived value of strategic PR as a premium service.

David Ketchum, Research Chair of PRHK, commented: “The data reveals critical insights that agency leaders must address head-on. The disparity between ambitions in the Greater Bay Area and actual revenue generation is stark. Furthermore, the prevalence of fee discounting poses a structural threat to our industry. Agencies that will thrive in 2026 are those that firmly defend their value and operationalize new technologies to enhance their consulting-led strategies.”

Download the full 2026 PRHK Benchmark Report HERE
Download the Summary Infographic HERE

Hashtag: #PRHK

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About PRHK

Public Relations Hong Kong (PRHK) is the city’s premier network for PR and communications professionals, dedicated to driving industry standards and representing the voice of the local market.