DOHA: Several hundred people were in attendance at the Katara Cultural Village as what is arguably the world's biggest football boot was unveiled in Qatar on Monday, November 14, 2022.
The boot, which took seven months to finish (from April to October of this year), is awaiting ratification by the Guinness World Records.
The boot, which is 17 feet in length, 7 feet high, and over 500 kg in weight, is constructed using the same materials used to make football boots, including fibre, leather, rexine, foam sheet, and acrylic sheet. At Katara, the plain white horse's boot with three dotted thin lines on its sides can be seen alongside the canopy of giant flags. The organisers plan to customise it later. took seven months to be finished, from April to October of this year.
The unveiling added to the growing attractions in the country as Qatar is set to host the World Cup starting on Sunday, November 20.
The event was led by the chief guest, Ambassador of India to Qatar, H E Dr Deepak Mittal; Katara Public Diplomacy Centre (KPDC) CEO and Global Public Diplomacy Network Secretary-General, Engr. Darwish Ahmed Al Shaibani; Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) President, PN Baburajan; Focus International CEO, Shameer Valiyaveettil; curator of the Big Boot, M. Dileef; along with other officials.
Focus International CEO Shameer Valiyaveetil said that the Made-in-India boot is another exciting experience in the Indo-Arab cultural exchange.
A cultural procession depicting Qatar-India cultural ties was presented during the event, with artists from various states in India performing alongside students from Indian schools throughout the country.
Valiyaveetil said the project intends to show support for Qatar's initiatives to emphasise football as a global sport that fosters intercultural understanding. It also opens a new chapter in the cultural exchange between India and Qatar.
Artist and curator M. Dileef, a Guinness World Record holder, designed the boot. He is known to be the creator of the world’s longest Quran, the largest marker pen, a bicycle, a sanitiser, and a screwdriver, to name a few.
