Spotting the 2010 FIFA World Cup Trophy

Published June 4, 2010 at 7:00 am |

7 Days!!!

One week today the 2010 FIFA World Cup will commence in South Africa. It’s the most watched sporting event on the planet after the Olympics.

It was a bit of shame that I couldn’t stay in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I wanted to, I really did. Working on this project for 2 years really made me a fan of the event (having never been much of a soccer fan before). But it just wasn’t possible to extend my trip. The airfare was too expensive and the logistics and costs of getting to the matches was too costly. But as luck would have it, I had the chance to do the next best thing – see the 2010 FIFA World Cup Trophy on tour.

For the past few weeks the World Cup Trophy has been traveling around South Africa. By chance I was in Polokwane, a host city, when the trophy made it’s stop at Peter Mokaba Stadium.

I got off of work at 4 P.M. and less than an hour later I was in line to catch a glimpse of the most coveted prize in sports.

Here’s a YouTube video with the highlights…

While there was a small queue to see the trophy, the wait was worth it. This is a rare moment in life, to celebrate something so huge, with so many people. It didn’t matter who you were: black, white, American, South African, adult, child; everyone celebrated together. That was the coolest part. We all came together to celebrate South Africa and all the benefits the World Cup will bring to the country. Strangers became friends during this brief moment in the spotlight.

I’ve also uploaded some more photos from my evening with the trophy. They’re on my Facebook Fan Page. Click here to become a fan and view them.

And for some more fun… Coca-Cola created a 7-minute 3D Movie we watched before queuing up for the trophy. Though you won’t be able to watch it in 3D, I was able to find someone on YouTube who filmed it when the cup was in their city. The film was fantastic.

By the way, if you liked the song in the film, it’s called Wavin’ Flag by K’naan. It’s worth downloading. For more music suggestions from World Cup and South Africa, check out one of my previous posts here.

What’s the closest you’ve ever come to an international award? Share your experience by leaving a comment.

I’ll see you out there…!

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