The
FIFA World Cup™ Trophy Tour arrived in South Africa today as part of its
programmed tour around the world, organised in partnership by Federation
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and The Coca-Cola Company.
In
a tour spanning 89 countries and six continents, the 2014 FIFA World Cup™
Trophy Tour takes soccer’s iconic trophy over 92,000 miles around the world,
stopping in South Africa a few months before reaching its final destination in
Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ finals.
To
mark its arrival in South Africa, the DG of Sport and Recreation, Alec Moemi,
President of the South African Football Association, Danny Jordaan, and Therese
Gearhart, President of the Coca-Cola Southern Africa Business Unit will
welcomed the trophy at a glittering welcome ceremony on 1st December 2013 at
Lanseria Airport, Randburg.
“The
trophy’s arrival evokes special memories of the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament,
one of the best ever hosted in the world.This is the third time that Coca-Cola
has partnered with FIFA to bring the trophy to people all around the world. We
call it the World’s Cup, while the trophy is on tour,” said Gearhart.
The
World Cup™ Trophy arrived from Tanzania, accompanied by FIFA personnel and
Coca-Cola leadership, as well as SABC’s Soccer Zone sports presenter Minnie
Dlamini, who was chosen by Coca-Cola as one of its ambassadors.
During
the arrival ceremony, dignitaries and celebrities from across the country saw
the unveiling of the trophy whilst the Drakensburg Boys Choir sang the South
African version of the Coca-Cola anthem - a once in a life-time opportunity for
these boys.
After
the arrival of the trophy to Lanseria, Coca-Cola will travel with the trophy to
Diepsloot Kids Club, an organisation that provides afternoon care for teens.
The Club is linked to Hope Worldwide, a non-governmental organisation that is
supported by The Coca-Cola Company. About 150 young children received a
lifetime surprise and experienced the magic of the World’s Cup.
“I
think it’s extremely important that every child gets the same opportunities to
enjoy the world’s game. This trophy tour is just one of many initiatives we
support around grass-roots soccer – COPA Coca-Cola being a main program here in
South Africa,” said Therese Gearhart.
Coca-Cola
and FIFA have given more than one million people around the world the chance to
experience football's most coveted prize in their own communities. A small
number of individuals have had the honour of holding the FIFA World Cup Trophy
and to date approximately 60 heads of state including Former President, Nelson
Mandela have had this exclusive opportunity.
