Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani teenager Ahmed Raza on Friday conducted the coin toss for the game between Brazil and Costa Rica. This marks the first time a Pakistani was present on the pitch of a FIFA World Cup match in an official capacity. Raza hails from a family in Sialkot, whose older members have been crafting hand-stitched footballs for professional leagues across three generations. Raza and his father Shabbir Ahmed are both football fanatics and his involvement in the World Cup represents the fulfilment of a dream for both father and son

Raza is a passionate fan of the Brazil football team and their talismanic attacker Neymar Junior and will get his chance to meet his heroes before kick-off. Coca-Cola is also taking Pakistan’s football team captain Kaleemullah to Russia, with the former FC Dordoi man joining Ahmed on his journey to Moscow. Coca-Cola has collaborated with two-time Academy Award Winning film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy to document Raza’s journey, with the documentary expected to be released next month.

Published in Daily Times, June 23^rd 2018.