World Cup trophy tour heads for SA
12 April 2010
The Fifa World Cup trophy is set to arrive in South Africa on the final leg of its global tour, starting in the Western Cape on 7 May before returning to Gauteng province ahead of the World Cup kick-off at Soccer City on 11 June.
The World Cup trophy began its tour at the Fifa headquarters in Zurich in September last year and has already toured 83 countries.
To date, nearly 200 000 fans across the African continent have attended trophy tour events, while 37 heads of state have greeted the trophy's arrival in their country, including Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba, Ghanaian President John Kurfour and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
"Millions of South Africans will get an opportunity to see the Fifa World Cup trophy up close, and some who would have won competition tickets will have a special moment of taking a picture with the trophy, and participate in celebrations as it moves across all nine provinces," Coca-Cola's World Cup project GM Onwell Msomi said in Pretoria last week.
38 cities and towns
The 36 cm high trophy, which is made of solid 18-carat gold and weighs 6.175kg, will make its way across the country's nine provinces and will stop at 38 cities and towns.
The winners retain the trophy until the next tournament and are awarded a replica that is gold-plated, rather than solid gold. The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite, while the bottom side of the Trophy bears the engraved year and name of each World Cup winner since 1974.
The trophy tour will start in the Western Cape on May 7. From there it will travel to the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Northern Cape, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo before returning to Gauteng in June before the opening match at Soccer City on 11 June.
At each of the venues, the trophy will be prominently displayed for public viewing, and about 800 people per event will be able to have their pictures taken with the trophy.
"Now that the Fifa World Cup Trophy is coming back to South Africa, it will be a final reminder to all South Africans that the long anticipated tournament is now only days away," Msomi said.
SAinfo reporter and BuaNews
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