Cypriots are wonderfully passionate about the things they love, with football being a prime example, but naturally critical, they tend to rush to judgement.
So walking football faces an uphill struggle for the sceptical Cypriot. It’s a modified version of the traditional game and has significantly grown in popularity globally – but it now has its place across the island. It offers all the familiar elements of football within a safer, more inclusive environment.
And local glory may not be so far away. Cyprus was represented at the Walking Football World Cup held in Spain in October, where the Cypriot men’s over 50s team finished sixth out of eight competing countries.
Competitiveness and physical strain are often part of sports. While football demands mental strength and endurance, walking football was designed to be safer and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities. It welcomes everyone – from retired players to newcomers, those at any fitness level, and individuals returning from breaks or recovering from injuries. With a slower pace and specially designed rules, walking football eliminates the extreme physical extremities of the traditional game, making it a much safer option.
Physical contact of any kind is not allowed in walking football. While tackling is permitted, it must be a clean, non-contact interception made from directly in front of the opponent, and the ball must always stay below head height. Ian Charlesworth, a representative from Walking Football in Cyprus (WFiC), told the Cyprus Mail that all someone needs to start playing walking football is “a sports kit, trainers or astros, and shin guards”.
The WFiC believes that participation from Cypriots is not enough.
“We all obviously want more Cypriot involvement in the sport,” said Charlesworth.
The exact number of walking football teams in Cyprus is unknown, as new teams form constantly and leagues are developing. Some teams take part in unofficial local friendly matches. This includes two local teams, a men’s and a ladies’, that will play against two English team in Paphos later this month.
Arguably the island’s largest team, Pafos United, offers memberships to various age groups – from those in their 40s up to over 70s – as well as men’s and women’s teams. Despite walking football’s growing presence, Charlesworth feels “it is sometimes not taken seriously in Cyprus”, adding that WFiC has been working for years to change this perception.
“Out of the 90 registered members of Pafos United, only five are Cypriots,” he said.
“We are following the protocol of both Fifa and Uefa who are encouraging and demanding that national football associations provide protocol and initiatives for walking football frameworks,” he said.
They believe that this recognition will take place over the next year which will lead to the beginning of the change in attitudes towards the sport.
“Walking football is all about fun, friendship, and fitness plus, of course, football,” he said. Charlesworth emphasised that it is more than just a sport, as it gives people who thought they would never kick a ball again the chance to play not only for fun but also with a competitive edge.
The organisation even has its own anthem, ‘Dreams of Glory’. With lyrics written in English and inspired by the Cypriot podcast ‘This is Mappa’, the anthem perfectly reflects the organisation’s goal to unite these communities into one loyal team.
“We are immensely proud of the club’s achievements, we have worked extremely hard, and the players representing Cyprus share this pride,” Charlesworth said.
