Malappuram welcomes FIFA World Cup with giant football sculpture made of plastic bottles
Malappuram, May 23
With just 22 days left for the FIFA World Cup football tournament to kick off, Malappuram Municipality has taken the first kick in style.
A giant sculpture featuring a football and a booted leg performing a bicycle kick, made entirely from discarded plastic bottles, has been installed on the divider at Kunnummal, once again showcasing Malappuram's deep passion for football to the world.
Municipal Chairperson V.T. Rinisha said the initiative aims not only to welcome the World Cup but also to spread awareness against plastic waste. She added that the municipality is also considering setting up large-scale facilities, including a fan park, as part of the World Cup celebrations in the town.
Football lovers in Malappuram have welcomed the creative installation with great excitement. More than 6,000 unused plastic bottles weighing around 80 kilograms, collected by the Haritha Karma Sena from 40 wards of the municipality, were used for the construction. About 73 kilograms of iron rods were also used, and the work was completed within nine days for Rs 43,000.
It took nearly an hour using an earthmover to install the massive football sculpture in the town. The artwork, carrying the message of a "Clean City," was created under the supervision of the Swachh Bharat Mission of the municipality as part of the World Cup celebrations.
A giant football structure installed between 2015 and 2020 also stands nearby as a symbol of Malappuram's football culture.
Vice Chairperson Jithesh G. Anil, Standing Committee Chairpersons Harris Amiyan, Pari Majeed, Mariyumma Shareef, and Nanath Sameera Mustafa, among others, attended the event.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good initiative but Rs 43,000 for a sculpture? That's more than many middle-class families earn in a month. Could have spent that money on something more practical like repairing roads or cleaning drains. Still, the idea of using plastic bottles is nice, just the cost bothers me.
As a football fan from Bangalore, I'm jealous! This is what true passion looks like. The bicycle kick pose is perfect for Kerala's football culture. Also love that they're planning a fan park - let's hope India can qualify for the World Cup one day to celebrate like this! 💚💪
This is amazing! We need more such innovative ways to tackle plastic waste in India. 6,000 bottles diverted from landfills and turned into art? That's brilliant. And the fact that it's for football makes it even better. Malappuram is showing the world how to combine sports passion with environmental consciousness!
I appreciate the effort but feel like this is more for publicity than actual waste management. Rs 43,000 and such a huge installation, how long will it last? Monsoon is coming and that iron structure might rust. Still, better than nothing I suppose. At least it beats the usual political hoardings everywhere!
Loved it! My hometown always surprises me with its creativity. The football sculpture from 2015-2020 was already iconic, now this plastic bottle beauty adds another chapter. Hope they maintain it well because tourists will definitely stop for photos. World Cup fever is real
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