New Delhi:
Indian Football fans will have a rare chance to have a close look at the coveted FIFA World Cup trophy when it is displayed in the national capital and Kolkata in January next year.
The trophy, which was unveiled at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Monday, will reach New Delhi on January 16 and Kolkata next day en route to South Africa, the host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Billed as the biggest ever such event, the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour under the aegis of Coca-Cola, the sponsors of the sporting extravaganza in South Africa next year, will pass through 86 countries, including every nation in Africa.
The ceremonial start of the round-the-world journey was held today in Zurich with the presence of FIFA President Joseph Blatter and Coca Cola Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent. The first stop of the trophy will be the Egyptian capital Cairo.
Coca-Cola also unveiled the key components of the global theme of their sponsorship of 2010 FIFA World Cup.
"The worldwide passion for the sport of football is unrivalled. Our programmes to support the 2010 FIFA World Cup, like the Trophy Tour, will help ensure that fans have the chance to experience the excitement and pageantry of football no matter where they live.
"And like all football fans, Coca-Cola is especially excited about the 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place on the African continent for the first time," Kent said in a statement.