It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Bangladeshi football fans to catch a glimpse of the 2014 Fifa World Cup Trophy which will be brought to Dhaka on December 17 and Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) president Kazi Salahuddin believes the event will give Bangladesh football inspiration as they plan for 2022.
Eleven years ago a replica of the 2002 Fifa World Cup Trophy landed in Bangladesh. This year, for the first time the original World Cup trophy will be touring the country, confirmed both the Fifa website and the BFF president yesterday. The trophy will stay in Dhaka from December 17 to 19.
The tour schedule of the 36.5 centimeters golden trophy in Bangladesh was officially revealed at a press conference at the capital yesterday. BFF chief Kazi Salahudin expressed his excitement at the development. “It will be a historical moment to view the ultimate award of the sports world in Bangladesh and give a golden opportunity to the football fans of the country. I hope it will add accelerate the development of the game in the country and encourage people to become involved with the game,” said the BFF boss.
“We will start fresh from December 17. I’m still upset about the Saff debacle like everyone. We will double, treble our efforts in the future,” he added.
Debashish Dev, the country manager of Coca Cola, had similar feelings. “We are proud to sponsor the Fifa World Cup trophy tour of Bangladesh. It will be staying in the country for three days and football lovers will relish the extraordinary moments,” he said.
Fans will get the chance to view the most recognized trophy in the world close-up when it is showcased at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. They will have the opportunity to have a souvenir photo taken of them with the trophy, view a special hologram animation showcasing memorable moments in World Cup history, participate in interactive displays and enjoy other forms of entertainment.
This is the third time that the Fifa World Cup™ Trophy is being taken on a world tour. The 2013/2014 Trophy Tour – which started from Rio de Janeiro on September 12 - will visit 88 countries in 267 days and cover 149,576.78 km (92,942.702 miles) before returning to Brazil ahead of the World Cup next year.