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Ashwini Phadnis

AFTER CRICKET

New Delhi , April 30

With less than six weeks to go before the start of the Soccer World Cup in Germany, football mania is slowly but steadily building up in the country.

Travel agencies, airlines and even television channels are doing their bit to cash in on the global popularity of the sport.

According to the Director of Cox & Kings, Mr Karan Anand, the travel company has received close to 100 bookings so far.

"We expect the numbers to rise especially as the Cup draws closer," he said.

The month-long global event kicks off on June 9.

Bookings reach 100

A majority of the 100 bookings are from corporates who are using the event to award their top performing dealers, he said without giving the names of the companies. Industry watchers indicate that FMCG and soft drink companies generally look at providing such incentives to their top performers.

However, if you are not one of the top-notch performers and still want to be a part of the world's biggest sporting event, there are plenty of packages for you to choose from. Cox & Kings is offering a package that includes a two-night accommodation, air tickets and match tickets for 2,000 (approximately Rs 1.07 lakh). And the rates are higher for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.

Lufthansa offer

German airlines Lufthansa is offering `Globall Airpass' for fans from Asia-Pacific. Available with an intercontinental Lufthansa or Star Alliance member airline ticket, the Airpass offers 3-10 coupons for flights within Germany at reduced rates of 60 or 110 per sector.

The Airpass is available till July 16 and allows for travel between June 1 and July 16 this year. But if for some reason you cannot move from home there is no reason to despair, as ESPN-Star Sports will be showing the matches live.

Doordarshan will also show the quarter-, semi- and final matches live.

The build up for the month-long action has already begun with Discovery Channel airing a six-part series called `More than a game' which chronicles the emergence of international football's greatest teams and players interwoven with the story of how the World Cup has evolved and shaped the nature of football worldwide.

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