The trophy will be brought to Nepal by Coca-Cola Company in partnership with FIFA and All Nepal Football Association (ANFA). Neeraj Garg, Coca-Cola´s operations vice-president for South West Asia, said the trophy will be brought via private jet of FIFA from Bhutan. The trophy will be taken to India after Nepal.[break]
According to Garg, it will be the third FIFA World Cup trophy tour. The trophy tour is being held since the last FIFA World Cups a year prior to the greatest football competition of the world. The trophy will be taken to 88 countries of the world. Before the 2010 World Cup, the trophy was taken to 44 countries.
"Only the World Cup winning team´s captain and the head of state can touch or hold the trophy," said Garg, "One of the greatest footballers Pele, Germany´s Lothar Matthaus and Christian Karembeu of France will travel to Nepal with the trophy." Karembeu is, however, a member of the World Cup winning French team, not the skipper.
"We are working together with ANFA to exhibit the trophy so that more people can see it," told Garg. The World Cup trophy to be toured globally measures 6,175 grams and is made of 18-carat gold. The World Cup winner is awarded a gold-plated replica of the trophy instead of the original.
"We wish to see football reach every village and every children of Nepal. Football fans in Nepal will have the pleasure of seeing the trophy in person -- a once in a lifetime experience," Garg said.
Dough Jackson, CEO of Coca-Cola SABCO, said the trophy tour to Nepal will provide a huge impetus to the overall sporting culture, including football, in the country.
ANFA President Ganesh Thapa thanked Coca-Cola for taking the initiative to bring the coveted trophy to Nepal. "Now we will get a chance to see the trophy, which we have seen only on television screens," said Thapa, who also praised the company for its support in the development of Nepali football.
Coca-Cola had officially tied up with FIFA, the world governing body of football, in 1974 but it began its marketing campaign in the World Cup since 1950. Coca-Cola is also the sponsor of Coca-Cola Cup Inter-School Football Tournament (U-16) currently being held in all five development regions of the country. Similarly, Coca-Cola is running grassroots football programs in 75 countries of the world.
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