Soccer World Cup trophy arrives today

By ISAAC LIRI
TODAY will go down in history as the day the Fifa World Cup trophy visited the country.
The visit is supported by Coca-Cola, Fifa and PNG Football Association.
Coca-Cola PNG general manager Joyonto Chaudhury said the significant visit was Coca-Cola’s way of saying thank you to the government and people of Papua New Guinea.
“We are really looking forward to the visit and it will bring excitement because the coming of the trophy to PNG is historical,” Chaudhury said.
“This is Coca-Cola’s way of saying thank you to PNG for allowing us to do business in the country.
“The good thing for PNG is that it will put the country on the world stage as one of the countries in the world to have been visited by the trophy.
“Although the visit is brief and comes with tight security protocols, PNG is still privileged to have the trophy visit.”
PNGFA senior vice-president John Wesley Gonjuan, speaking on behalf of the Fifa-recognised football organisation in the country, said the visit was an honour.
“We are privileged to be nominated as one of the countries to be visited by this trophy,” Gonjuan said.
“As the country that has the biggest population of football followers in the Oceania region, having the trophy come our way means a lot to us. We requested that it visit Lae as well but Fifa has very tight security protocols so that wasn’t allowed, but at least the trophy comes to PNG for the first time.
“On behalf of PNGFA, we are happy about the visit and we hope it will inspire positive things for football in the country.”
The trophy is scheduled to arrive in Port Moresby at around 12:30pm.
From Port Moresby it will leave for Honiara Solomon Islands.