Kharkiv feels pride as Trophy Tour hits town

Posted Saturday, May 19, 2012 by UEFA.com

Mayor Gennadiy Kernes said Kharkiv "is again at the centre of public focus" as the UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour spent three successful days in the final tournament host city.

Kharkiv feels pride as Trophy Tour hits town
UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour in Kharkiv

Kharkiv has become the second Ukrainian host city to welcome the UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour, with the public and local celebrities delighting in its three-day stay.

After leaving Kyiv on Monday, the tour made a short stop in Ivano-Frankivsk before rolling into Kharkiv – where three Group B games will be played – on Tuesday. Schoolchildren welcomed the Henri Delaunay Cup to the city at Arsenal Stadium, from where the trophy was taken to the municipal council headquarters for an official presentation.

Local public figures attended, including Igor Kutepov, the former FC Metalist Kharkiv, FC Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine goalkeeper. "I have played football for a long time and with a bit of success, but never could I have imagined that I would hold this cup one day," said Kutepov, an official Friend of EURO.

After the presentation, a parade took the Henri Delaunay Cup to Freedom Square, where it went on public display for the duration of the stay. Kharkiv mayor Gennadiy Kernes said: "Today our city is again at the centre of public focus. With every day that passes, we can feel the excitement of EURO grow. We are 100% ready and the people of Kharkiv love our city and country. We'll do our best to stage a superb European Championship."

The local population braved the cold weather during the three-day stay, and came in great numbers to have their photo taken with the trophy, to enter competitions, dance with mascots Slavek and Slavko, and participate in autograph sessions with Kutepov.

Next stop: Donetsk

The roadshow will remain in eastern Ukraine, beginning a three-day stay in Donetsk tomorrow and then on to Lviv. The tour set out from Warsaw on 20 April and the trophy will visit a total of 14 cities across the two UEFA EURO 2012 co-host countries before finishing at Odesa on 26 May.

Get involved

Do not forget that visitors to the UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour can download their photos free of charge. Just enter your photo code to download your picture and share it with friends. Even if you do not make it to an event, you can star in your own unique movie which you can share via email or Facebook.