(2nd, 3rd & 4th from left respectively) with FIFA and Coca Cola Officials
The eastern area of the Clayton Lloyd International Airport in Anguilla was a scene of much pomp and ceremony on Tuesday, October 15. It was the colourful arrival of the world’s largest FIFA World Cup Trophy tour sponsored by Coca Cola. The arrival of the trophy, and the officials from both organisations who accompanied it, were welcomed by scores of Anguillian officials, members of the public and young footballers.
The trophy is being transported on its longest journey so far on a large bright orange-painted McDonnell Douglas MD-83 jet aircraft chartered for that purpose. “The route of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Trophy provides an opportunity for more than one million people around the world to experience football’s most coveted prize in their own communities,” a press release issued in Anguilla stated. “The FIFA World Cup Trophy will visit 89 countries across all 6 FIFTA Confederations in nine months.”
FIFA World Cup Trophy
The aircraft transporting the Trophy touched down in Anguilla in time for the 10 a.m. ceremony, chaired by Alkins Rogers, former Director of Sports, and now an Executive Member of the Anguilla Football Association. He described the exciting event as “an unforgettable experience for Anguilla.”
Mr Joseph Robinson, Market and Development Manager (Caribbean) for Coca Cola, said that for many years his company had reinforced its commitment to football around the world. “Since 1974, our company was one of the longest-standing corporate partners of FIFA, and official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1978,” he reported. “In addition, the Coca Cola Company has had stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup since 1950 and, more recently, in November 2005 we extended our association under the new FIFA partner umbrella untilthe 2022 World Cup.”
He said that the tour of the FIFA Trophy began its journey through the world on September 12, 2012 with an official ceremony in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. “Alongside with Anguilla, another twenty Caribbean countries will welcome the Trophy for the first time, as part of the tour of nine months to be concluded in time to start the World Cup in Brazil in 2014,” he explained.
The next speaker was Mr Jeffrey Webb, FIFA’s Vice President, President of CONCACAF and President of the Cayman Islands Football Association. He said the small Caribbean was honoured that FIFA and Coca Cola had undertaken to include the region in the tour. He commended his hardworking colleague Mr Raymond Guishard, President of the Anguilla Football Association, and his team for their great effort to continue to develop football in Anguilla.
“I am so proud, as coming from a small island such as Anguilla, and of course an Overseas Territory, that Anguilla has qualified for the finals in the Caribbean Championship for the girls,” he went on. “It only speaks well for the work that is taking place in Anguilla and for your development programme. It only speaks well for the passion, of each of you, day in and day out.”
Mr Webbe added that it was a great delight for Anguilla’s girls to have reached their potential in representing Anguilla so well – and ultimately becoming the face of their island. He was certain that itwas a distinct honour for Anguilla to welcome the FIFA Trophy which he described as “a symbol of the world.”
Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes, praised Mr Alkins Rogers for his outstanding contribution to the development of sports in Anguilla, over the years, and for being the first Director of the Sports Directorate. He specially commended Mr Raymond Guishard, “as the man who featured most today” for his role in developing football in Anguilla, leading to the tour of the FIFA Trophy to the island. “I have travelled a bit around the Caribbean, and around the world, and whenever one speaks about football, and the scandals which surround football, the name of Guishard comes out clean as a man of great integrity, and that is typical of the man,” Mr Hughes said.
“But Guishard doesn’t do it alone. He has a beautiful wife who is more enthusiastic than footballers themselves, and between that couple football has grown in this little island. As the Vice President in the Cayman Islands has rightly said, football is the most important sport in the world today. The fact that we, in the Caribbean, have so many social disorders with our young people…football is an avenue by which we can change their lives…Football is the greatest thing for Anguilla today and I hope everybody will show a great interest in it.”
Chief Minister Hughes added: “I am very happy that Anguilla was able to have this Trophy brought to it and I know it is something that we will remember forever.”
Governor Christina Scott thanked Coca Cola, and especially FIFA, “for giving us the opportunity today to see the World Cup Trophy here in Anguilla.” She said the Trophy was “a symbol of the power of sports to unify and to cross divides and to bring people together.”
The Governor, who made reference to some of the island’s outstanding sporting personalities on the world’s stage – including Shara Proctor, Zharnel Hughes and Chesney Hughes – hoped that the arrival of the FIFA Trophy would be an inspiration to footballers. “It demonstrates that they can be world-class too. They can become the Shara Proctors of tomorrow in football. I look forward to seeing some of the young people here today, in the years ahead, playing in international tournaments and one day possibly…picking up that Trophy themselves.”
The many Anguillian footballers present at the event showed a great deal of enthusiasm in the tour of the FIFA World Cup Trophy, and took the opportunity not only to get a close view of the symbol, but lined up for a snapshot with it. The photographs will be available to them through the Anguilla Football Association.
The aircraft, which brought the Trophy to Anguilla, left the island after a few hours for St Vincent. This is the third time that Coca Cola and FIFA have come together to take the Trophy on a tour of the world. The first tour was in 2006 and the second in 2010.
