With striking white hair and darting between the goal posts, an Israeli athlete on Friday became the oldest person in history to play in a professional soccer match.
Issak Hayik, who celebrates his 74th birthday next week, broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest living soccer player after playing goalww in an afternoon game with Israel's Ironi Or Yehuda soccer club, Hayik managed to make some good saves on Friday, though his team was defeated 5-1.
Video: Reuters
The Iraqi-born sportsman received the formal title in an award ceremony attended by representatives from the Guinness World Record organization following the match.
"I'm ready for another game," said Hayik, whose family immigrated to Israel when he was four years old.
"This is not only a pride for me but also [for] Israeli sports in general."
His family was among the tens of thousands of Iraqi Jews who fled in the mid-20th century to Israel, whose creation in 1948 and successive defeats of Arab armies caused bursts of popular anger and violence against Jews.
Hayik's children voiced pride in their father's achievement. One of his sons said they used to play in semiofficial matches together.
