After the Assam man who took a Rs 15 lakh loan to construct an auditorium to screen Fifa World Cup 2018 matches, another story of an ardent footballer plan has been winning hearts.
Cliffin Francis, who belong from Cherthala town in Kerala, cycled all the way to from Iran to Russia to attend just one match of the ongoing tournament as tickets, otherwise, are very expensive.
While talking to The Times of India, Francis said watching a World Cup match was has always been his dream. So, he took a flight to Dubai and from there cycled over 4,000 km from Iran to reach Russia.
"I love cycling and football. I used to pedal to the coaching centre and once cycled from Kochi to Kanyakumari. I decided to cycle to Russia to join the biggest soccer party. So far, it has been a great journey, enjoying the places, cuisine, cultures, and making friends with people," he told The Hindu.
While travelling, he crossed Iran and Azerbaijan. "I went to Iran from UAE by ship. Though I was planning to go Russia through Georgia, I didn't get a visa and I reached Russia through Azerbaijan," he said as reported by the website.
Francis, who is a die-hard supporter of Argentina, has a dream of getting the signature of the footballer and Argentinean captain Lionel Messi on his bike. Now that he is in the country he is a step closer to realizing his dream.
During is the expedition, Francis took to Facebook share pictures and experiences. According to reports, he said that he met many helpful people on his way who have made his journey memorable.
"I stayed in a tent to save money and the officials and residents gave me a good treat when they realized I am an Indian. I also met Malayalis in Azerbaijan, who treated me like a brother," he said.
Francis also plans to write a book on these life-changing experiences.
Check out his posts here:
