With Colombia going undefeated into Friday’s World Cup match against Brazil, a state-owned promotional company made plans to construct 12 new soccer fields for underprivileged youth depending on the amount of positive Tweets the organization receives.
Colombia’s state-owned promotional company Marca Colombia (Brand Colombia) promised to build a new soccer field in Colombia to match every World Cup stadium in Brazil if they receive enough Tweets to virtually fill each of the 12 stadiums, Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper reported on Wednesday.
| “For every virtual stadium of the application [Twitter] that is filled with positive messages about Colombia, we will build a soccer pitch for underprivileged children in various parts of the country.” |
“For every virtual stadium of the application [Twitter] that is filled with positive messages about Colombia, we will build a soccer pitch for underprivileged children in various parts of the country,” said Brand Colombia CEO Jose Pablo Arango.
So far, over 562,000 positive Tweets have been generated under Marca Colombia’s #LoBuenoDeColombia Twitter feed. This number represents the capacity of 10 of the World Cup stadiums in Brazil with the goal being able to fill all 12.
In the wake of a new wave of patriotism and pride sweeping across the nation, Arango said that the purpose of this initiative was to “provide the opportunity for more children to become future ‘James’ of the country,” referring to Colombia’s hottest star and leading goal-scorer in the World Cup, James Rodriguez.
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According to Arango, the construction of the soccer fields will take place after the end of the World Cup with the main objective being to encourage the sport among economically disadvantaged children as motivation to follow in the footsteps and glory of Colombia’s national team.
The first fields to be built will be in marginal areas in the states of Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, and Bolivar while the rest of the locations are yet to be determined.
The avalanche of positive Tweets has come from as far away from Colombia as Japan, Turkey, Indonesia, China, and Spain, among many others.
In social networks, global celebrities such as Rihanna, Lebron James, and Will Smith have all expressed their appreciation and support for the Colombian team.
Marca Colombia (Brand Colombia) is a state-backed company aiming to promote a positive image of the country abroad, according to the company’s website.
Sources
- Van 562.000 mensajes positivos en Twitter inspirados en la Seleccion (El Tiempo)
- Que Es Marca Pais Colombia? (Marca Colombia)