Jiangsu's amateur football league drives sports consumption surge

The rising popularity of the grassroots tournament Jiangsu Football City League, a regional football competition in east China's Jiangsu province, has fueled a surge in demand for related merchandise with sportswear and fan accessories going viral.

Dubbed "Su Super League," the amateur city-derby tournament featuring 13 teams -- each representing a city in Jiangsu Province -- has captured the collective imagination of around 195,700 live spectators, with online viewership soaring into the hundreds of millions. Its attendance has even surpassed that of some established professional leagues.

Amid the football fever, football related products are selling like hot cakes.

A standout hit is the "call me Nan Ge" ("call me big brother Nan") tote bag, which has become an overnight sensation. The flashy "call me big brother Nan" gloat printed on the bag refers to Nantong's triumph over provincial capital Nanjing in the first round of the tournament.

Its designer created the bag in just one day as a spontaneous idea, yet within five days of hitting the market, the 19.9-yuan (2.76 U.S. dollars) accessory's sales have exceeded 1,000 pieces, sending online orders skyrocketing.

As the league gains attention, sales of footballs, jerseys, and cleats have also spiked.

At a sports retail shop in Nanjing, shoppers flocked to football gear sections, prompting the store to restock and roll out promotions.

"People's enthusiasm for football has noticeably boosted sales. We've seen a 20 to 30 percent jump in sale this month," said a salesclerk at a mall.

The sports craze extends beyond merchandise, with sports centers in Nantong City reporting soaring bookings ahead of summer.

"We expect the number of long-term venue partnerships with football, basketball, and badminton training centers to reach around 10 in total," said Ding Li, a gym operations director in Nantong.

Jiangsu's amateur football league drives sports consumption surge

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday reiterated his call for the United States and Israel to stop the war against Iran, and for Iran to stop attacking its neighbors.

Noting that the impacts of the conflict are being felt everywhere, Guterres warned that the world is on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the whole Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe.

The secretary-general said that "the Middle East crisis has lurched into its second month", and warned that the scale of devastation, indiscriminate attacks, and targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure are all growing.

"My message is clear. To the United States and Israel, it is high time to stop the war that is inflicting immense human suffering and already triggering devastating economic consequences. To Iran, to stop attacking their neighbors. The Security Council has condemned these attacks and reaffirmed the need to respect navigational rights and freedoms along critical maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicts do not end on their own. They end when leaders choose dialog over destruction. That choice still exists, and it must be made now," he said.

Guterres said diplomatic efforts are underway to find a peaceful path forward, which "deserve the space and support to succeed -- anchored firmly in international law, including the UN Charter".

UN chief renews call for U.S., Israel to stop war against Iran