FIFA World Cup 2018: From miniature trophies to custom kites, football mania grips the nation.
FIFA World Cup, the biggest sporting carnival in the world, is all set to kick-start today. The opening ceremony of the much-awaited event will be held in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium at 6:30 pm IST. The month-long football championship will continue till July 15.
Football enthusiasts around the world are making special preparations to cheer for their favorite teams and India is also not behind.
Miniature world cup trophy.
In Odisha, miniature artist L Eswar Rao from Bhubaneswar's Jatni village has made miniature forms of the Fifa World Cup 2018 trophy on a pencil and a piece of crayon.
"Through this I am sending best wishes to all the teams participating in the tournament," said the artist.
Football mania has gripped West Bengal too. Ajit Dutta, a kite maker in Kolkata, has manufactured custom-made kites based on Fifa World Cup 2018 trophy. The colourful kites, he hopes, would be loved by the sports lover in the state.
He has also made flags of the participating countries and fans can buy them for the countries they support.
In 2014, 3.2 billion people watched the tournament on TV and football fans have already started adjusting their schedules to enjoy the grand event. Special screenings are also being organised in sports bars and restaurants in most Indian cities. Custom menu is also on the cards, to make the sporting event memorable for football lovers.
736 players on 32 national teams from five continents will be participating in 2018 Fifa World up 2018.