Soccer enthusiasts in Kolkata will get an opportunity to experience the frenzy that the FIFA World Cup Trophy brings with it, when it (the trophy) visits the city from January 15-17.

The iconic trophy is 36.8 cm (14.5 inches) high, weighs 6,175 gm (13.61 pounds) and is made of solid, 18-carat gold. The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite, while the bottom side of the trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974.

The Kolkata visit of the FIFA World Cup is part of a worldwide tour, spanning 86 countries over a period of 225 days. The tour began its journey from the FIFA headquarters in Zurich on September 21, 2009, and will end in South Africa on May 4, 2010.

The total distance the trophy will travel is 134,017 km, more than three times the circumference of the earth.

When the tour reaches Kolkata, soccer fans in the city will get to enjoy a rare close-up view of the authentic FIFA World Cup Trophy. They will also have the opportunity to have a souvenir photo taken of themselves with the trophy, view a special 3-D movie showcasing memorable moments of the FIFA World Cup and participate in interactive displays and other entertainment.

While in Kolkata, the tour seeks to leverage the passion for football in the city and includes rolling out of the ‘Coca-Cola Open Happiness’ communication initiative titled ‘Borders’. The communication includes showcasing the hilarious incidents that sometimes happen as the trophy makes its way across the world. This is the first time that the original “Coca Cola FIFA World Cup” will come to Kolkata.”

Disclosing this, Mansoor Siddiqi, director, integrated marketing communications, Coca-Cola India, told Financial Chronicle, “Coca Cola has been the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1978. The passion for football in the country gives Coca-Cola the best platform to connect with soccer fans in our country. The idea is to encourage fans to express their optimism and passion for the game through the trophy celebrations, which includes music and other interactive progrtammes.”

The strategic communication for ‘Coca-Cola Open Happiness’ has been conceptualised by the agency Santo.

Coca-Cola India said it had always been associated with promoting healthy and active lifestyle through sports. Earlier, the company had teamed up with All India Football Federation (AIFF) to organise the Coca-Cola Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy, a grassroots initiative to hunt young soccer talent in the country. Under the initiative, 20 promising young footballers are being identified by AIFF, who will be coached and groomed to form the national under-16 sub-junior team. Of them, the 16 most promising players will attend The Coca-Cola International Football Camp in South Africa, to be organised in June 2010 during the FIFA World Cup, Siddiqi said.