Katara to showcase 'world's largest boot'

Darwish Ahmed al-Shaibani (fourth left) announces the Guinness World Record attempt at the press conference as other officials look on.

The 'world's largest boot' will be unveiled at Katara - Cultural Village on November 14 at 7pm by Indian NGO focus International, in collaboration with the Katara Public Diplomacy Centre (KPDC) in a Guinness World Record attempt. The event aims to express solidarity with Qatar’s efforts to highlight football as a sport that brings the world together and open a new saga in the tradition of Indo-Arab and international cultural exchange, organisers told a press conference. The boot, designed by artist and curator M Dileef, a Guinness World Record holder, is crafted from leather, fibre, resin, foam sheet and acrylic sheet. The work on the 17ft long and 7ft high made-in-India boot will be completed in Qatar soon. Dileef is credited as the creator of the world's longest Qur'an, the largest marker pen, bicycle, sanitiser, screwdriver, and many other 'big' arts. The unveiling ceremony will feature a cultural procession by Indian artists under the patronage of ICC. The big boot is also a a reminder of India's football history. When India's first international football match was held at the London Olympics in 1948, the players did not have boots. When asked by the media about playing without boots in India's loss to France, the then captain Talimeren Ao quipped, "We play football, you play boot ball". KPDC CEO and Global Public Diplomatic Network secretary-general Darwish Ahmed al-Shaibani, Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) president P N Baburajan, focus International EO Shameer Valiyaveetil, CFO Mohamed Riyaz, events director Askar Rahiman and focusQatar president Haris Pariyanthodi were present at the press conference