Coca-Cola Pakistan will be bringing the FIFA World Cup trophy to Lahore on 3rd February for the first time in the country’s history and is now set to launch a number of campaigns and initiatives to promote Pakistani football.
In a much welcomed move, the FIFA World Cup trophy will make to Pakistan after touring Thailand, where it will be picked up by a delegation of Pakistanis and brought to Lahore via a special chartered flight by Coca-Cola and unveiled to the public through a festival, where they would be able to view the trophy up close and personal.
“Pakistan has millions of football enthusiasts and we are extremely excited that Pakistan is able to be a part of the Trophy tour this year. Football is not only an emerging sport in Pakistan but also fast becoming a key platform of self-expression for the youth connecting them beyond social and cultural boundaries,” said General Manager of Coca-Cola Pakistan and Afghanistan Rizwan U. Khan.
“It’s not about a brand, it’s not only about mileage, it’s about developing a new sports platform in Pakistan,” he added.
Coca-Cola also announced the arrival of ‘Copa Coca-Cola’ to Pakistan, which is one of the biggest schools’ football tournaments in the world with origins in Zimbabwe and is now played across 60 countries in five different continents.
With Pakistan facing an uncertain future in football because of the ban, the FIFA World Cup trophy visit offers a much needed boost to the fans and football fraternity, which according to Pakistan’s Women Team captain Hajra Khan is very exciting prospect and a step in the right direction.
“I am not really sure when Pakistan will be able to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, but it is truly amazing to see Coca-Cola bring the trophy home to us,” added the striker.
Coca-Cola also announced the launch of multiple FIFA World Cup theme campaigns, which will be catering to the massive hype that the tournament generates. According to officials, 30 lucky winners will be given a chance to go an all expense paid trip to Russia after being selected through a competition while a single fan will get the chance to conduct the coin toss for Brazil vs. Costa Rica on 22nd June, 2018.
On the other hand, Pakistan International Kaleemullah also made his views felt through a pre-recorded view and heralded the move as hugely beneficial for Pakistani football.
Made out of solid gold and weighing 6.142 KG, the trophy will be travelling over 126,000 kilometers in the nine months leading up to the FIFA World Cup in Russia and this year’s tour includes stops at 25 cities, which is its longest in history and includes the first ever trip to Pakistan. According to protocol, the trophy can only be lifted by FIFA World Cup winners, President of FIFA or Heads of States, meaning that the only Pakistani who will get a chance to hold the trophy is President Mamnoon Hussain.