As bizarre as it may sound, 60 year old Vice President of Suriname, Mr Ronnie Brunswijk took time off from his state duties to play and captain the club that he owns, Inter Moengotapoe, in a Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) League match.
Apparently Inter Moengotapoe is a second-tier international club competition akin to UEFA's Europa League. Ronnie went even further to have his presence felt wearing No. 61, a tribute to his 1961 birth year, he played 54 minutes as a forward alongside his son, Damian, before subbing himself out.
Inter eventually lost 6-0 against Honduran side CD Olimpia but Brunswijk made history by becoming the oldest player, at 60 years of age, to play in an international club competition.
Brunswijk had pulled on the number 61 shirt for the club that he owns, but his involvement in the match has also raised questions as to whether he had disrespected the competition. At 60, Brunswijk surpassed Japan’s Kazuyoshi Miura, who at 54 still is playing for Yokohama FC. He was born on March 3, 1961, which makes him six months older than Concacaf itself.
Brunswijk has a widely reported backstory, including a conviction in the Netherlands for drug trafficking, but became vice-president in July 2020. In 1999 a Dutch court convicted him in absentia of operating a cocaine-smuggling ring and handed down a six-year prison sentence. One year later, a French court issued a similar conviction. Brunswijk denied any involvement in drug trafficking, saying his wealth comes from timber and gold mining established after the civil war ended in 1992.
Chan Santokhi was elected president at the time, and referenced Brunswijk's checkered past. "Mr. Brunswijk has his history. We could look at his history and see that as a barrier," Santokhi said."We're looking forward to a better future, because we are two leaders who have been entrusted to lead this nation together." The 60 year old is also a Robin Hood-type character who was convicted of bank robbery, stealing funds from the government and giving the money to the poor and revered for his handouts.
Brunswijk has continued to spread his wealth to the impoverished communities while also at one point reportedly buying cars for his entire soccer team. After Tuesday’s match, a shirtless Brunswijk even was seen on video handing out cash to the players on the opposing Olimpia team in their locker room, a questionable bit of generosity that has piqued the interest of Concacaf itself.