Trophies made in Agra, claims gemstone maker
AGRA: The ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar may have an Agra connection. The owner of a gemstone manufacturing company, Adziran, in the city has claimed that his company made the trophies and gift boxes being used in the global event.
“Agra’s handicraft workmanship and mosaic carvings are in great demand in many countries. This art has played a very important role in enhancing the beauty of the Taj Mahal,” said Adnan Sheikh, the proprietor of Adziran.
Sheikh said the trophies and boxes were made in Agra, Jaipur and Moradabad. About 300 workers reportedly put in sincere efforts for almost three months to make 2,000 boxes.
“The trophies were crafted from natural semi-precious stone – Natural Lapis Lazuli Gemstone. It has bronze work on it, and plating of 24 carat gold has been done on it. Although the weight of a gift box is about 15 kg, it took us almost three months to make them,” the Agra-based businessman added.
“The design was finalized by the top leadership of Qatar in consultation with FIFA and a team of global experts. The trophy weighing 2 kg is made of red jasper stone. The box’s interior is leather silk,” Adnan said, and added a major part of the consignment has already reached Qatar.
He added that due to a confidentiality clause, he couldn’t disclose the price of trophies and gift boxes. The consignment was supplied to the government of Qatar last month.
“For about a year-and-half, we were not aware that the products will be given to players in the ongoing World Cup. We put the FIFA logo on the items about three months ago and were also made to sign a contract that we won’t use this design for other products,” he added.