A group of single-legged young men, all victims of Sierra Leone's brutal civil war in which thousands lost arms, legs and other body parts, has come together for encouragement and hope. They are Sierra Leone's national amputees soccer team.
They play with just one foot each while balancing only on the crutches. But their skills are breathtaking all the same.
"We started playing (soccer) as a social game after we became envious of other boys with two legs," said Victor Musa, of the Sierra Leone Single Leg Amputees Sports Club.
PHOTO: AFP
"Now we don't feel that disabled anymore; we can play football too," said Musa.
Today they are a professional team, and last year they came in third at the World Cup single-leg soccer tournament in Brazil.
The sport has helped to spread a message of hope.
"We are happy that we can get together and encourage each other," said Mohamed Lappia, who stepped on a mine that shattered his leg.
Saidu Mansaray, 22, is the team's goalie. He has both his legs, but he catches the ball with one hand because the four non-thumb fingers of the other hand were chopped off with an axe.
The team struggles to find money for transportation to attend practice sessions, let alone pay for soccer shoes. Most play with threadbare sneakers, but that does not dampen their spirits.
As for Liberia's ex-president Charles Taylor, accused of sponsoring the war and facing a war crimes trial at a UN-backed court in Sierra Leone, team captain Fornah said, "If he is found guilty, he should spend the rest of his life in jail." (AFP)
這一群「獨腳」青年是獅子山共和國殘酷內戰下的受害者，這場內戰導致許多人失去手腳及身體其他部分，他們如今為彼此激勵和希望齊聚一堂。他們是「獅子山截肢者足球隊」。
他們只用一條腿踢球，以柺杖平衡身體，卻仍然技藝精湛。
獅子山單腿截肢者運動俱樂部的成員維克多*穆沙表示：「我們因為羨慕其他有兩條腿的男孩才開始踢足球。」
他說：「我們現在不覺得自己行動不便了，我們也能踢足球。」
他們如今是專業隊伍，去年在巴西舉行的世界盃單腳足球錦標賽名列第三。
這項運動有助於傳遞希望。
踩到地雷，腿被炸碎的莫翰*賴比亞說：「我們很高興可以在一起為彼此打氣。」
今年二十二歲的賽杜*曼沙瑞是隊上的守門員，他雙腿完好，卻用單手接球，因為另一隻手除了大拇指之外的指頭全被斧頭砍掉了。
這支隊伍連籌措參加練習的交通費都有困難，更別說買足球鞋，多數人穿著破舊的球鞋，士氣卻不受打擊。
至於被指控煽動戰爭，目前於獅子山聯合國戰犯法庭受審的賴比瑞亞前總統泰勒，隊長佛納表示：「如果他被判有罪，應該在監獄裡渡過餘生。」 （法新社／翻譯：鄭湘儀）
It often starts with a text message asking if you are available on weekends, looking for a part-time job or you get a simple “hello” from an unknown number. Halfway across the world, a laborer is usually pulling in 12-16 hour days, sending non-stop messages, hoping someone will take the bait. The ultimate goal is always to take your money — victims have lost tens of billions to scams and hundreds of thousands of people are in forced labor to keep the schemes going. These workers are often housed in massive complexes scattered across Southeast Asia, where the industry has flourished. Here
Have you ever argued with your parents about politics, news or social issues? Maybe you think their opinions are outdated, while they claim you have been brainwashed by the Internet. The truth is, neither of you is wrong. You’re simply living in different “filter bubbles,” seeing entirely different versions of reality. A filter bubble forms when Web sites use algorithms to predict what content you want. Based on the videos you watch on YouTube, the TikToks you linger on or the articles you click, the system feeds you more of the same. Before you know it, you’re stuck in
A: Hit K-pop girl group Twice is going to stage a concert at the Kaohsiung National Stadium this weekend. B: And this will be Twice’s first show in Taiwan since their debut about 10 years ago. A: After conquering fans around the world, Taiwanese member Chou Tzu-yu is finally returning to her hometown. B: Member Na-yeon actually performed at the 7-Eleven Kaohsiung Beer Rock Festival in July. Jeong-yeon, Jih-yo and Chae-young also caused a global sensation by singing the megahit “Takedown” from Netflix’s animated blockbuster “KPop Demon Hunters.” A: We’re so lucky to see all nine members performing in Taiwan for the very first
1. 她把畫掛在書房牆上。 ˇ She hung the picture on her study wall. χ She hanged the picture on her study wall. 註：hanged 是 hang（吊死，絞死）的過去式。hang 作「掛」解時過去式是 hung，過去分詞也是 hung。 2. 他失去平衡，跌倒在地。 ˇ He lost his balance and fell down. χ He lost his balance and felled down. 註：felled 是動詞 fell 的過去式，作「砍倒」解，是及物動詞。這裡作「跌倒」解是 fall，過去式是 fell，過去分詞是 fallen。 3. 我剛才把照相機放在桌上。 ˇ I laid the camera on the table a moment ago. χ I lay the camera on the table a moment ago. 註：從句義可以看出動詞須用過去式「將…放、置」，動詞現在式是 lay，過去式和過去分詞都是 laid：lay, laid, laid；但 lay 也是 lie 的過去式，作「躺」解：lie, lay, lain，是不及物動詞。 注意：兩個形同義不同的 lay，不要用錯。 4. 他去過韓國。 ˇ He has been to Korea. ˇ He visited Korea some time ago. χ He has gone to Korea. 註：He has gone to Korea. 是「他已經到韓國去了」，指目前人已在韓國或在赴韓國的途中。表示「過去曾去過某處」，應用 have/has been，或用動詞的過去式和表示過去時間的副詞來表達。 5.
RSS