Meet Clifin Francis, The Man From Kerala Who Cycled All The Way To Russia To Watch The FIFA World Cup
Now that is one enthusiastic fan.
Keralites are crazy football freaks and the 28-year-old Clifin Francis hailing from Cherthala has once more proved it. You know how? He left for Russia on his bicycle to watch FIFA World Cup and his main goal is to get a signature of Barcelona star Lionel Messi on his cycle.
Clifin, who is now touring Russia on his cycle, reached there on June 5, and he have to travel more than 600 km to reach Moscow.
"I am an ardent fan of football from my childhood and my favourite team is Argentina. It is my big dream to watch a world cup. But it is very expensive. So I will watch a group match between France and Denmark.
facebook/Clifin Francis
After that I will spend some days in Russia. Then I will return to Kerala on my cycle. Before that I have to get a signature of Messi on my cycle," he told TOI from Russia on Sunday.
Cycle has been the close friend of Clifin, the only child of late Rosely and late Francis, since his childhood days. Clifin, who has a B.Tech degree, worked as a Mathematics teacher in a private firm in Kochi.
"Whenever he come to our home at Thuravoor from Kochi, he used only cycle. Clifin is a wonder for his friends and relatives from his schools days. He was very brilliant student in school scoring full marks in Mathematics and his school teachers ask about him even now we meet them," said his uncle Xavier A J.
facebook/Clifin Francis
Clifin has set out for his journey to Russia on February 23 with the money he collected from the job. The longest journey ever he had made before his Russian trip was his cycle trip to Kanyakumari.
"First I went to Dubai from Kerala by flight and from there I bought a cycle and started my cycling to Russia from there. I have travelled through UAE, Iran, Azerbaijan and reached Russia.
I went to Iran from UAE by a ship with my cycle. Though I was planning to go Russia through Georgia, I didnt get visa to Georgia. So I reached Russia through Azerbaijan border. Now I reached Russia and I must cycle more than 600 km to reach Moscow," said Clifin.
When he entered Russia, the security officials who allowed them after checking his World Cup fan ID , were very curious to know about Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan.
"I hope I will reach Moscow within a week and I will watch the group match between France and Denmark. This journey is wonderful experience for me and I will definitely make it into a book. I stayed in tents in order to save the money on the way to Russia.
The people and the officials of all the countries I travelled gave me good treat when they know I am an Indian. I also met Malaylees in Azerbaijan, who were doing various jobs there. They treated me like a brother and no words to explain my gratitude to them," he said.
