Tuesday, August 3, 2010

  Oldest World Cup volunteer - Amrit Daya sets world record
  NELSON MANDELA BAY, South Africa -- Amrit Daya , 79, of Malabar in the Bay, who has been on retirement for 16 years, became a Fifa volunteer at the 2010 World Cup, where he was responsible for meeting all Fifa delegates and VIPs at the Port Elizabeth Airport , setting the world record for the Oldest World Cup volunteer .
 Photo: Amrit Daya, the oldest volunteer at the 2010 Fifa World Cup Photo: 2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Organising Committee   ( enlarge photo )

   He was the oldest of 67 999 volunteer applicants from over 170 countries who applied for the tournament, offering his services as a welcome and information services volunteer.

    A healthy and active Daya, who has been on retirement for 16 years, has become quite a celebrity since he became a Fifa volunteer.

    “I’ve been on CNN, BBC, SATV, e.tv, AFP, Reuters and Morning Live, and that is just the television side of things. I’ve been in newspapers and on websites all over the world,” said Daya, who was 79 when the World Cup was on. He turned 80 on July 18.

     “I am very fit and healthy. I think with my interview (to become a volunteer) they expected an old man with a beard and a stick, but I sure surprised them,” he quipped.

    He decided to become a volunteer as he had been involved with community and charitable work since his retirement. “I thought this was a way to step it up a bit. A moment like this will definitely not come my way again.”

    His World Cup experience lead to various “golden moments in his golden years”, he said. “Not only did I do my bit for the tournament, I also turned 80 on the same day as Nelson Mandela. I celebrated my 60th wedding anniversary, my wife’s 77th birthday, my son’s 50th birthday and my granddaughter graduated.”

    Daya said he attributed his longevity to regular yoga sessions and breathing exercise.

    He set some criteria for those who wanted to break his World Cup record. “I always joke that you have to be able to exercise daily, wash and polish your car and be a teetotaler.”   

     "Nelson Mandela Bay is one of the most beautiful, laid-back cities where visitors always enjoy themselves," he says. "It has so many attractions, such as its beaches and game reserves.

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