By Karina Imran

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 (Bernama) -- "It is like a dream come true," said the 32-year old Hungarian woman who had travelled with FIFA World Cup Trophy tours to 32 countries, when it made its stopover in Malaysia recently.

Annamaria Gazda, who works for the Coca-Cola Company as a Global Asset Manager in Atlanta, United States, for almost seven years could not imagine how she felt when first asked to join the tours.

"This is a once in a lifetime experience, only few people have a chance to be here... to be a representative for the company (Coca-Cola) and the World Cup trophy. Travel with the trophy around the world.. I am glad, I am the chosen one.

"I feel like I am a small ambassador.. It is not only once in a lifetime opportunity but it was like dream come true for me to be involved in such an amazing project," she told Bernama in an exclusive interview during her tour to Malaysia from Jan 3 to 5.

Gazda said in total there were 90 stopovers (countries) but her tour involved only 50 of them. The trophy arrived in Malaysia from Vietnam thereafter made its way to Jakarta. Malaysia was the 56th stopover.

Gazda said the experience travelling with the trophy around the world was eye opening for her to see and learn about others culture and lifestyles.

"Everyone that I have met in this country were extremely nice and very welcoming. Malaysian football fans are full of passion. Wherever the trophy stopped in this country, there were always big crowds. They are happy to see it although nobody is allowed to touch it.

"No matter where you go, football is very powerful. Wherever you come from, what language you speak but in football, it has its own language...everybody can understand it. It is something that can unite everybody no matter where you come from, it brings us together," she said.

She said her first World Cup experience was very memorable as it gave her a chance to see how people got so excited and united because of the trophy.

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Dream Come True To Travel With FIFA World Cup Trophy - Annamaria Gazda