India’s ranking as a football country in the world is 126. Yet, people of Kolkata got to see the FIFA World Cup today on their home ground. As a build up to the coming World Cup football to be held in South Africa, for the first time the FIFA World Cup has been brought to India and it was unveiled today at a function here by German football legend Lothar Mathhaus.
The World Cup Football will be held from June 11 to July 10. The Trophy is being taken to 83 of the 204 football playing nations. After making the tour of Africa, the FIFA Trophy reached Kolkata yesterday and it would be kept here for next three days. Tomorrow and day after, the FIFA Cup which is made of 18 carat gold with a height of 36.8 cm and weighs 6,175 grams will be exhibited at Salt Lake stadium.
Then it will be taken to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Kolkata was chosen as one of the seven Asian cities for the tour of the FIFA trophy because of its passion for football. It waspointed out that before Lothar Mathhaus, another German football legend Oliver Kahn had come to Kolkata with Bayern Munich and played a match at Salt Lake stadium in 2008. Maradona had also visited the city last year. In the past, Pele, Bobby Moore and some other football legends had visited Kolkata.
After unveiling the cup, Lothar Mathhaus, the captain of the victorious German team in 1990 reminded the Indian football administrators that proper organisation and planning with support from corporate sponsors could take India to the global map of football. “It may take 10 to 20 years, but you must enjoy the game, need a good organisation and start at a young age,” said Mathhaus. Atul Singh, president and CEO of Coca Cola India, said that his company would like to commit itself for the uplift of Indian football. For that, it has started working in collaboration with All India Football Federation.
The build up to host the FIFA World Cup 2010 has boosted in construction business and the South African government has come together for the construction of five new stadiums, and the upgrade of five existing stadiums. The tourism industry is also expected to get a boost during the month long football festival.
