Sometimes Sports Mean More Than Sports

Son Heung-min waits for the national anthem alongside Senoch Oh during the LAFC–Inter Miami match on February 21. Denis Bouanga (back row, far left) accompanied Senoch’s older brother, Aidric Oh. The Korea Daily/Sangjin Kim

Sometimes sports are about more than goals, tactics, and final scores.

While competition, teamwork and victory define the game on the field, the spotlight that sports command can also shine on something far greater — hope, resilience and shared humanity.

On Feb. 21, during the Major League Soccer season opener between LAFC and Inter Miami CF in Los Angeles, a quiet but powerful story unfolded before kickoff. Sonny and Messi were getting a huge spotlight obviously.

A six-year-old Korean Canadian boy who had spent months battling lymphoma walked onto the pitch holding the hand of his hero, Son Heung-min.

For many in the crowd of more than 70,000 at BMO Stadium, it may have seemed like a touching pregame moment. For Senoch Oh and his family, it was something far deeper — a miracle in motion.

A Family’s Long Battle

According to his parents, Yoonseok Oh and Bi Shin, Senoch was diagnosed with lymphoma in September 2024. After months of treatment, he was declared cancer-free the following February. But just months later, doctors warned of a possible recurrence.

“It felt like receiving a death sentence,” the couple told The Korea Daily. “After so many close calls, all we wished for was to live an ordinary life together as a family.”

The family, who lives in Ottawa, Canada, decided to celebrate their son’s strength by taking him to see his favorite player. Senoch is a devoted fan of Son Heung-min and dreamed of watching him play — along with global superstar Lionel Messi — in person.

What happened next exceeded anything they imagined.

A Chain of Miracles

The journey began with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. The Oh family submitted Senoch’s wish to attend the match, and it was approved.

Initially, the parents were told they might need to share some travel costs. Instead, they received word that the foundation would cover the entire trip to Los Angeles.

“We were already grateful just to attend the game,” Oh said. “This level of support was overwhelming.”

Then came another surprise.

On Feb. 20, the day before the match, LAFC contacted the family. Senoch and his older brother Aidric, 10, were invited to serve as escort kids during the pregame ceremony.

The escort-kids tradition, which began during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, promotes respect for children and spreads a message of peace worldwide.

Shin described what followed as “a chain of miracles.”

That evening, Senoch walked onto the field hand-in-hand with Son Heung-min. Aidric entered alongside LAFC forward Denis Bouanga — part of the fan-favorite “Heung-Bou” duo with Son.

More Than a Match

Following the ceremony, the brothers met LAFC players and toured BMO Stadium with defender Aaron Long the day before the match.

For the Oh family, the evening was not simply about soccer.

“We only hoped for a healthy, ordinary life,” Oh said, visibly emotional. “After enduring such a painful time, we were given a moment that felt like a gift from heaven.”

In a stadium filled with cheers for goals and rivalries, something quieter — but perhaps more powerful — unfolded.

For one young boy who had faced illness with courage, sports became a bridge. A reminder that even after the darkest seasons, hope can step onto the field — hand in hand with a hero.

Senoch, you are our hero.

Kyeongjun Kim Contributed to this story