Well, you know what? Apparently, anyone can now be like Messi, and walk on the field.
That’s thanks to a new craze sweeping through Europe and parts of Asia. It’s called walking football.
A few friends from Penang called me up the other day, asking if I wanted to play the game next weekend and that piqued my interest. With the knees creaking when I run and the back aching, it seems like a good way to stay in the sport without the risk of ending up in hospital.
After all, doctors say that walking with friends is the best remedy for ageing, even for brain health.
One of those friends, former footballer K. Ravichandran, even says he feels like he is in his 20s again when playing walking football.
The world is also falling in love with the sport.
The others in the fray were Czechia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Scotland and Spain.
Strangely, though, England was missing although it is in Britain that walking football has become a major craze.
Some 150,000 players are registered there, with many thousands more in countries like Australia and New Zealand.
Walking football actually started out as a health fad, a sport for women and the elderly who wanted to stay fit, or as a recuperative exercise. But it has now grown into a competitive sport, but with its focus on the elderly.
The UEFA – yes, the organisation that governs European football – has even drawn up the rules: Players must walk and not run or jog, and one foot must be on the ground at all times. Jogging, or even hopping with the ball, results in an indirect free kick.
There can be no contact; tackling must not be from behind, and slide tackling is completely banned. Opponents have to tackle players from within a zone, 45% to the right and left of the player.
Only the goalkeeper is allowed inside the penalty area and can have both feet off the ground when making a save.
The ball has to stay below head height and a player may only touch the ball five times before passing. There’s almost no contact so there’s little chance of any injuries.
It’s not just about bodily health. It’s also about staying mentally agile. Since no running is allowed, the game calls for quick thinking, strategising, and some high IQ.
The sport has arrived in Malaysia, too.
Many may not remember Rachel Gomez. She’s no ordinary lady. She was a triple international – playing netball, hockey and football for Malaysia. In fact, she was once known as the female James Wong of Malaysia.
Gomez is one of the main people behind walking football in the country, along with her 1975 national hockey teammate Halimahton Yaacob.
They first got a group of women to move on from just walking to playing walking football in Negri Sembilan. It has not been a stroll, but they have come very far since.
They even managed to get the Youth and Sports Ministry on board when Hannah Yeoh was in charge.
While Halimahton now has her own team, Gomez formed the Asia Pacific Walking Football Academy, promoting the sport around the country to both men and women, mostly aged above 50.
Not only has Gomez been training people on walking football, she has also become a qualified referee under the United Kingdom and New South Wales governing bodies.
Malaysia, with Gomez behind the scenes, was also the founder of the Asia Pacific Walking Football Cup, first held in 2023 in Negri Sembilan. Australia won, and defended the trophy for two years – in Perth in 2024 and Bali in 2025.
Gomez is now aiming higher: men’s walking football.
And she has Ravichandran by her side. Ravi, a former Kedah stalwart, has joined her in attracting more people to walking football by training and coaching players.
They have managed to set up teams in Johor, Kedah, Melaka, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Selangor.
“The number is growing very fast,” says Ravi, adding that the game can be quite tiring.
“It really makes you sweat, so it’s good exercise in a short time, without the injuries and strains that comes with regular football.”
It’s not just old people. Children are getting into it, too.
Only a few months ago, primary school pupils were given a chance to represent their schools and take part in a beginner-friendly walking football competition, organised by Universiti Malaya’s Community Engagement Centre (better known as UMCares).
The initiative was to encourage pupils to be more active, build self-confidence, and develop team spirit while promoting heart health, physical fitness, and mental well-being, especially for children with weight problems.
But the main target of the game remains the elderly.
The tournament in Penang next weekend is also in tribute to former MP Karpal Singh, whose birthday is tomorrow.
Called the Tiger of Jelutong Cup, the tournament at the Penang Indian Association is expected to see teams from Johor, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Penang, and Medan in Indonesia.
It is also expected to see some past internationals and state players taking part who are now opting for a less strenuous sport. I guess old players just don’t ride off into the sunset. They walk into a new sport.
And this “old man” may also be part of that scene. On July 4, US independence day, my mates and I will be setting the World Cup in the US aside for a day or two, and focusing instead on the “Walk Cup”. It should be fun.
To steal a line from the Liverpool folk: In this sport, You’ll Never Walk Alone.
