The Ball

April 10th 2010, Special Olympics Nigeria had a ceremony as The Ball (Football's Olympic Torch) passed through Nigeria.

The Ball has been described as football’s equivalent to the Olympic Torch. Every four years, The Ball kicks off from its “Mount Olympus”, Battersea Park in London, where the very first game of modern rules football took place in 1864. The Ball celebrates this moment – the conception of modern football – because it gave rise to a common set of rules which enable the whole world to play together. The Ball’s destination is the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA World Cup.

Instead of being passed from hand to hand like the torch, The Ball is played with in as many kick–abouts and games of football as possible along the way to the host country. It is more than just a symbol of fair play to be admired from afar — it invites people from all walks of life to share in the joy of participation by directly engaging them in playing the game and indirectly by connecting them to the World Cup. (source )

You can read about the journey of The Ball on this blog here

On