FIFA World Cup trophy on public display in Sri Lanka

By APD writer Easwaran Rutnam

COLOMBO, Jan. 24 (APD) -- The FIFA World Cup trophy was put on public display in Sri Lanka on Wednesday after it began its world tour ahead of the world cup.

Organisers said that the fourth FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour gives Sri Lankan fans the chance to experience football’s most coveted prize.

"Glad to kick off the #TrophyTour in Colombo this morning. Good Luck to all the competing teams & fans of @FIFAWorldCup around the world," President Maithripala Sirisena tweeted after launching the Sri Lanka leg of the tour on Wednesday morning.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour began its historic journey from Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium (Russia) on 9th September 2017.

The Russian leg of the FIFA Trophy Tour was officially launched when FIFA President Gianni Infantino presented President of Russia Vladimir Putin with the Trophy in the Host Nation of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The global leg of the tour features Sri Lanka as the first international destination in its 51-country tour prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in June 2018.

The original trophy will be in the country till Wednesday evening and an exciting itinerary had been planned around the historic event.

A public event was held in Colombo where the trophy was displayed for 1,500 lucky fans to have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the coveted Trophy in person. The trophy will then be taken to Maldives as the next destination of the tour itinerary.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)