A goal of defying age keeps players young at heart

Soccer is often regarded a sport for the young, for obvious reasons. Players are considered past their prime in their mid-30s. But the goal of a group of senior players in Chongqing is to show that it is never too old to play.

The Chongqing Senior Men's Soccer Team, established in 1983, boasts the longest history of all senior teams in the city. With an average age of 65, the team has more than 70 retired men from all walks of life, with ages ranging from 54 to 83.Some are former professionals and all have a strong desire to play the game.

The team has claimed national titles in senior men's soccer tournaments in 2003, 2013 and 2015.

They follow a professional schedule while at the same time enjoying the social aspect. At 8 am every Tuesday and Thursday, the players kick off training at a soccer stadium in Chongqing's Shapingba district. The team used to play on a soccer pitch at a local university, but changed their site due to strict entry controls following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Yao Shuyun, 70, the team leader and a national-level soccer referee, worked at Chongqing University and joined the team in 2005.

"We're here for fitness and to socialize and make friends," Yao says. "It is a happy get-together with brothers and friends rather than training."

Most of the players started kicking a ball when they were young and the passion for the game stayed with them through the years, according to Yao. And it is a passion.

"Six years ago, a member of our team, who was seriously ill, asked his family to take him to the soccer pitch, his favorite place. He passed away days later," Yao says.

Wang Minghao, 83, one of the team's midfielders, is the oldest player and has been in the team for more than 20 years.

He started to play at the age of 9 and kept it up for more than 70 years. Now, every week, he joins the team in training for two hours. "Playing soccer makes me feel good," he says. "Medical examinations show that I'm in good health."

"It is a stereotype that square dancing, running and chess are more suitable for the old," Li Qisheng, one of the team's players, says. Li is also delving into the realm of bodybuilding at the sprightly age of 80.

The first "national friendly cities' middle-aged and seniors" soccer match was held in 1988 and the match for the elderly has turned into a major attraction. "Over the years, the game for the middle-aged and senior people has been gradually recognized by society and the government," says Chen Dehuai, chairman of an NGO that manages the national competition between middle-aged and seniors' soccer teams.

Compared with soccer matches for professionals, the seniors' matches tend to be less challenging.

"How do we play soccer? Well, there are no body checks, no tackling and bicycle kicks are out," Chen says. "The actual matches also reflect the maturity of the players.

"Matches for the 11-man and 8-man teams do not go beyond 40 and 30 minutes, respectively," he says. A normal match is composed of two 45-minute halves.

"Moreover, there's still a half-time interval, allowing one minute for players to drink water. And there is no limit to substitutions."

They have another requirement that is rather unusual. Chen says that, before signing up for any match, a signed life insurance policy as well as written consent from immediate family members are required.

The team members are preparing for the next national league match, to be held sometime in September 2022, but, instead of being results-oriented, they are content just to run on the soccer field.

"The results don't matter," Yao says. "We will keep playing as long as our health allows us to."