La Paz, Jan 21 (IANS): The 2014 FIFA World Cup Trophy arrived in Bolivia as part of its promotional world tour prior to the start of the games in June in Brazil, this year's host country.
The football trophy made a fuel stop at the Viru Viru International Airport, in the eastern Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, aboard a private International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) plane, before arriving here Monday. It will be on show at the local Military School in La Paz, reports Xinhua.
The 18kt-gold trophy began its tour of 89 countries and regions on Sep 12, and was previously exhibited in Asuncion, Paraguay, headquarters of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).
The exhibition in Bolivia, which is the 63rd stop on the world tour, is being sponsored by Bolivian bottling firm Embotelladora Boliviana (Embol), and La Paz department (state) Governor Cesar Cocarico thanked the firm for helping to bring the trophy to the South American nation.
"We thank Embol for making it possible for La Paz to place the World Cup on show. Being one of the 89 countries where the cup will be is historic for Bolivia," said Cocarico.
After Bolivia, the cup travels to Peru, where it will be on show Jan 22-24, then Ecuador Jan 25-27, Colombia Jan 28-30 and Venezuela Jan 31-Feb 2.