On a mission, FIFA's oldest volunteer brushes off defeat (Feature)

By Andy Goldberg Jun 22, 2010, 17:30 GMT

Port Elizabeth, South Africa - For the oldest volunteer ever in the history of the World Cup, the result of South Africa's final match at the tournament failed to dim what will always be a high point of his long life.

'I'm very disappointed, but it's still a wonderful World Cup and at least Bafana Bafana have won a match,' said Amrit Daya, minutes after the South African team exited the tournament despite a 2-1 win over 2006 finalists France.

Such equanimity is only to be expected from a man like Daya, who views his mission as a volunteer in almost religious terms.

'There's a guiding force, a cosmic force that led me to this,' the former clothing sales manager said in the living room of his tidy, modest home in the Indian suburb of Malabar, just outside Port Elizabeth.

'I hope I can inspire people to help others,' continues Daya, a Hindu. 'Life is short and we must do what we can now, because who knows when the game will end?'

That may well sound corny, but you only have to look at Daya to think that he might just be on to something.

The elderly Indian gentleman is of medium height and build. Behind his square glasses, his eyes sparkle with an unmistakeable love for life. And he moves with the vitality of a man 20 years younger. He dresses proudly in a South Africa shirt adorned with the number 79 - his age - and also sports a custom makarapa hard hat recognizing his service to FIFA.

Not for him a lazy decline into the feebleness of old age - he stands excitedly throughout an interview, and darts back and forth from the living room to the garage and kitchen to proudly display artifacts from his life and family.

He was born in Port Elizabeth in 1930 and moved to Malabar after the Group Areas Law of 1950 forced black, coloured and Indian South Africans out of areas that were exclusively reserved for whites. The highlands suburb was named after an area in Bombay and is still predominantly Indian, with curry restaurants, Hindu temples and oriental spice stores.

'I was a political activist but never did I dream I would see freedom in my lifetime,' he says. 'Now I can see democracy is working and the future of this country is bright despite all the adversities.'

His desire to showcase the best of his country was behind his decision to throw his name into the hat together with 68,000 other applicants to be a FIFA volunteer. 'Now I'm the oldest of the lot,' he exclaims proudly.

He admits that the job is not exactly scintillating. He sits at the Port Elizabeth airport in his suit and greets incoming FIFA dignitaries such as referees and committee members.

'It's quite boring, but all the visitors are really happy to be in South Africa and wonderfully surprised that the World Cup is going as well as clockwork.' Then he adds: 'Even I was surprised.'

He gets a modest stipend for his volunteer work. But what he really hopes for is an official statement from FIFA recognizing him as the oldest volunteer since the start of the World Cup in 1930.

Daya lets out a chuckle when a visitor asks him whether he plans to volunteer again in Brazil 2014, when he will only be 83 years old. 'We'll have to see what the cosmic force has in store for me,' he says. 'But I certainly hope so.'