A Kenyan athlete has been forced to release his passport to prove he is 17 after online trolls raised doubts over his age.
Zakayo Pingua’s club Benfica, in Lisbon, Portugal, hit back by releasing copies of his passport and birth certificate.
The teenage athlete’s age was brought into question after he won the under-20s 5,000m race at the Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco, on June 16.
Zakayo, who is also the African champion for 5,000m at under-20’s level, came under attack from social media users as they claimed he was older than 17.
One man wrote on social media: ‘I think this could be a case like that of Benjamin Button.’
Another account said: ‘He looks like my dad.’
