By Ayomide Oriade
World football governing body, FIFA has unveiled ‘Brazuca’ as the official match ball for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil . The ball which was launched at the iconic Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro, derived its name from a colloquial phrase that refers to the Brazilian way of life, and is often shouted in approval of a skillful move on the pitch.
The Brazuca manufactured by Adidas, is the company’s most tested ball in history. Over a two-and-a-half-year period, it was tried out by over 600 of the world’s top players or former players, including Iker Casillas, Dani Alves, Lionel Messi, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Zinedine Zidane, and 30 teams in 10 countries across three continents.
Its colours and ribbon design symbolise the traditional multi-coloured wish bracelets worn in Brazil, in addition to reflecting the vibrancy and fun associated with football in the South American country. It has a new structural innovation, with six identical panels – compared to the eight panels of the 2010 World Cup’s Jabulani, or the 32 of the iconic 1970 World Cup Telstar.
The fish we import is not different from what we can find in the Nigerian waters,” Odunlami said, adding that there is absolute need to develop staple crop processing zones. Some primary processing zones in the country had been selected as models.
