Neal & Massy hosts World Cup 2006 Goodwill Ball - 31st January 2006
Photography by Narend Sooknarine and Duane Boodasingh
Article by Duane Boodasingh

Hyundai, the Korean car giant is an official partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

In all 32 qualified nations, Hyundai will stage a Goodwill Ball Tour, where fans can sign a massive 16foot football offering their best wishes to their home nation team. All 32 balls will then be brought together for a Goodwill Ball Finale the eve before the opening match.

In Trinidad & Tobago the Goodwill Ball is being hosted at the Neal & Massy main showroom in Morvant. Neal & Massy are the dealers for Hyundai and will have the ball available for anyone who is interested in having their signature go to the World Cup event in Germany 2006. It also provides football fans in T&T an opportunity to sign and send best wishes to the Soca Warriors in Germany.

Fifa vice-president Jack Warner hoped that at least half the population will sign.

“Everyone cannot be in Germany, but being a small country of around 1.3 million people, I don’t see any reason why we cannot get at least half to sign,” said Warner.

Among the first signatures were president George Maxwell Richards, Warner, Selris Figaro, Everald “Gally” Cummings, Sedley Joseph, Hasely Crawford, current national players Silvio Spann, Anthony Wolfe, Cyd Gray and Brian Lara.

TriniTuner and Zorce Magazine also signed the ball to show support for the Soca Warriors.

The ball will be taken on a road show throughout T&T over the next eight weeks and will be displayed in several venues to give local fans the chance to sign.