Kochi, (Samajweekly) As football fans in Kerala brace up to experience Manchester City’s Treble Trophy Tour to Kochi on Saturday, the English Premier League giants came up with an image of the southern state’s sprawling Vembanad Lake on its social media handles as the backdrop for the triple trophies — Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League — along with the latest Super Cup won by the club.
On the eve of displaying the cups for football buffs to take photographs, the 143-year-old club posted on social media a picture of the four trophies lined up tastefully against the evening sky beyond the horizon even as a passenger boat moves past close-by.
“The sun sets of Vembanad Lake in Kochi on our latest leg of the Treble Trophy Tour!” read the caption, followed by an image of the Indian tricolour and a gold-coloured football cup.
Kerala Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said it is really exciting that a prominent football club of the world is coming to Kerala with the coveted trophies they won recently.
“Kerala can be really proud that Manchester City greatly appreciates the stunning beauty of of the state and is unveiling it before the whole world. Just as its unparalleled natural beauty, Kerala is also reputed for its love for football.
“The social media image is yet another instance of Kerala being marked firmly on the world tourism map. This reflects the big reputation our state enjoys in the West and other countries across the globe,” said Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The 230 sq km Vembanad Lake is the largest lake in Kerala, with its Kochi stretch dotted by small islands that make it particularly scenic.
The Treble Trophy Tour will travel to Mumbai after Kochi.
Only three weeks ago, Manchester City had wished Malayalis across the world ‘Happy Onam’ over social media by displaying the greetings in the state’s language. That was on August 31, when the image focused on superstar Erling Haaland in the club’s blue jersey biting into a fried pappadam, while the background showed two houseboats lined up close to a green plot of land dotted by coconut trees.
Earlier this summer, football powerhouse Chelsea FC had made a virtual tour of Alappuzha, praising the beauty of the state’s backwater paradise.
“The beauty of Kerala! The Blues visit the scenic backwater of Alleppey as part of the virtual tour,” ran the caption of a virtual image on March 20.
