CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- There is a senior men’s football team in Chongqing that has been established for 38 years. At present, the team owns 67 players with an average age of 65, who are all retirees from all walks of life. Their wives must sign up for approval before they join the team. The oldest player of the team is 84 years old. They don't prioritize winning or losing, but they just enjoy the sweat and passion and the fun of football on the green field...

Players of the team are brothers, colleagues, classmates or childhood friends, and every practice for them are a joyous gathering. Established in 1983, the team of football “old urchins” has great strength. It won the national championships in National Friendly City Elderly Football Competition in 2003, 2013 and 2015.

The elderly play football every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 o’clock in the morning. At the call of Captain Yao Shurong, they went to Shapingba District in Chongqing for training. It was their first time to Jialing Football Stadium.

Football players need high levels of physical strength, endurance and speed. Who would know that the average age of the players running around on the green field is over 65 years old?

In the 11-a-side football field, more than 40 senior players played together, methodically practicing passing and receiving ball, shooting and some simple tactical coordination. On the field full of laughter, everyone was relaxed and happy, enjoying the fun of football together.

“These ‘little brothers’ are modest, because they never compete with me seriously. We can enjoy the joy of sports together!” In the eyes of the 84-year-old Wang Minghao, who joined the team in 1985, most of the players are “children”. The old man said that no matter how bad the weather is, the team has never stopped training. The team rules state that new players have to have their family sign approval to join the team, that they join the team only for physical exercise, and that they cannot to be aggressive against older players and get them injured.

In May 2014, the team participated in the 24th National Friendly City Middle-aged and Elderly Football Competition in Suzhou. Captain Yao Shurong said to the reporter that it was the greatest blessing for them to play football together in another city. After the game, they would go sightseeing together to enjoy the fun of team life!

The old man Fan Xinming took out the old photo of the team participating in the 4th Sichuan Provincial Games in 1979. The “old guys” on the photo were now far apart. Fan Xinming said that this was the first championship in his life, and that from then on, he was closely linked with football.

The elderly showed a precious photo of themselves with Chi Shangbin (in the middle) in 2008. Chi Shangbin was one of the best players and coaches in China. “He died in March this year. What a pity! Dalian Wanda, the team he coached, set a league record of 55 rounds unbeaten,” they recalled.

Hui Guangwen, 79 years old, was the coach of the team. He started playing football at the age of 9 and joined the team at the age of 49 in 1991. It had been 30 years since then. He has been silently serving as the recorder of the team’s history and collected photos and information about the team’s competitions. This group of old urchins, bonded by football, get healthy and happy by sticking to exercises.. He told the reporter that he hoped to pass on the precious football spirit of the players. (Translated by Zhang Ying, Fathom Language Limited)