The historic arrival of the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Barbados yesterday was met with a low-keyed reception and without much fanfare.
And apart from a select few schoolchildren who gathered at Hilton Barbados just after midday to get a glimpse and photo opportunity with the prestigious trophy, very few Barbadians would have even known about its arrival.
Unlike its previous stops in both St Kitts and Nevis and St Lucia, where thousands of excited and anxious supporters converged at the Silver Jubilee Track And Field Stadium and Beausejour Stadium, respectively, there were only a handful of people present at the I AM Jet Centre when the red, yellow and green FIFA/Coca-Cola aircraft touched down at the Grantley Adams International Airport at 9:45 a.m.
Minister of Sports Stephen Lashley missed a chance to see the hardware, leaving the airport to attend yesterday’s no-confidence motion in Parliament before the trophy had arrived.
Barbados was the 23rd stop the trophy has made since it began its world tour in September, in which it is expected to visit 89 countries around the world.
One of the bright sparks of the day’s event would have been the fact that on its first stop ever to the island, 17-year old Cadijah Mars, a student of The Lodge School, accompanied the trophy on its private flight from St Lucia.
The trophy, which was stored in a Louis Vuitton suitcase, was initially showcased under a black veil, before eventually being uncovered to rapturous applause.
Earlier in his brief remarks Minister Lashley expressed his delight at having one of the world’s most prestigious sporting trophies on the island.
“Having the 2014 FIFA World Cup Trophy in Barbados today is indeed a great moment in time for us.
“It not only heightens our interest in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Tournament slated for Brazil, but it creates excitement in the football fraternity in Barbados as it offers as it were, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to actually have a first-hand view of the world’s most coveted symbol of football,” he told those gathered.
Lashley also used the occasion to reveal that Government would soon be rolling out its Sports Policy, which will speak to the creation of a sports sector and recognize sports as an industry.
After leaving the airport, the trophy was escorted to the Hilton Barbados, where 80 students from several secondary schools across the island, including Lester Vaughan, Deighton Griffith and Alma Parris, were allowed to view it.
They also heard from Mars about her experience during her travel with the trophy.
Referring to questions about the low-keyed reception, Coca-Cola representative Annamaria Gazda told MIDWEEK SPORT that each stop had its own unique schedule.
“You can’t really compare countries because every country is different.
“But every country has a lot of people who are passionate about football and those are the people that we want to reach,” she explained.
“It’s not really about the cultural differences or the country’s differences or the size of the country, it’s more about the people who love the sport itself.”
Jan Shetters, FIFA’s representative for the duration of the eight-month world tour said that he was extremely happy to be in Barbados, and he was amazed at the amount of interest shown in football in the Caribbean.
“The whole team is really enjoying this tour. What we have realized is that there is a big, big passion for football in the Caribbean.
“Especially today seeing the youth being so excited to see the World Cup Trophy, that’s what we are really trying to achieve and that’s why FIFA and Coca-Cola are doing this,” Shetters said.
The FIFA World Cup Trophy stands 14.4 inches high, weighs 13.6 pounds and is made of 11 pounds of 18 carat gold, with a base containing two layers of malachite.
Only heads of state and former World Cup winners are allowed to touch the trophy.