Russia's psychic cat Achilles picks home team...as Russia gears up for World Cup
- 6 years ago
The first match in the 2018 Russia World Cup kicks off in around twelve hours from now.
The World Cup is by far the world's biggest international sporting event.
As a result,... it's a gigantic money-spinner for the official sponsors and the players,... but there's also a less corporatized side to it as well,... as our Choi Si-young explains.
While South Koreans prepare to cheer on the Taegeuk Warriors next week,... World Cup fever is sweeping Russia,.... as the host nation gets ready to welcome international fans to the biggest event in world sport.
One of the reasons for the buzz in Russia is a supposedly psychic cat by the name of Achilles.
Achilles, who is deaf, gears up to choose the winners of all of Russia's matches.
Offered the choice of two bowls of food,... one with the Russian flag,... and the other with the flag of Saudi Arabia,... the white feline hesitates before choosing Russia to win Thursday's opening match.
Such acts have become popular since Paul the Octopus made accurate predictions during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,... amassing twelve correct predictions out of 14,... a success rate of over 85-percent.
And for football fans visiting Russia,... they will be looking to open their wallets to purchase some of the hottest World Cup merchandise on the shelves.
Among the hottest seller are World Cup Matyoshkas ,... or Russian nesting dolls.
What makes these dolls unique is they have the faces of famous footballers painted on them.
"It's World Cup time. And this is my favorite football player so I think it's a great idea for a present or a souvenir"
And if dolls aren't your thing,... how about carved stones?
Stone is another traditional material in Russia.
Workers at a stonecutting factory create stone bears,... an animal which symbolizes Russia,... and stone soccer balls to celebrate the World Cup.
"The bear is the symbol of Russia and we want to show to everyone that bear is a kind animal. It's an animal that wants to do sports and competes. This way we promote our country."
So,... if you're lucky enough to be traveling to Russia for the World Cup, why not bring back a souvenir so you can cherish the memories forever?
Choi Si-young, Arirang News.
The World Cup is by far the world's biggest international sporting event.
As a result,... it's a gigantic money-spinner for the official sponsors and the players,... but there's also a less corporatized side to it as well,... as our Choi Si-young explains.
While South Koreans prepare to cheer on the Taegeuk Warriors next week,... World Cup fever is sweeping Russia,.... as the host nation gets ready to welcome international fans to the biggest event in world sport.
One of the reasons for the buzz in Russia is a supposedly psychic cat by the name of Achilles.
Achilles, who is deaf, gears up to choose the winners of all of Russia's matches.
Offered the choice of two bowls of food,... one with the Russian flag,... and the other with the flag of Saudi Arabia,... the white feline hesitates before choosing Russia to win Thursday's opening match.
Such acts have become popular since Paul the Octopus made accurate predictions during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,... amassing twelve correct predictions out of 14,... a success rate of over 85-percent.
And for football fans visiting Russia,... they will be looking to open their wallets to purchase some of the hottest World Cup merchandise on the shelves.
Among the hottest seller are World Cup Matyoshkas ,... or Russian nesting dolls.
What makes these dolls unique is they have the faces of famous footballers painted on them.
"It's World Cup time. And this is my favorite football player so I think it's a great idea for a present or a souvenir"
And if dolls aren't your thing,... how about carved stones?
Stone is another traditional material in Russia.
Workers at a stonecutting factory create stone bears,... an animal which symbolizes Russia,... and stone soccer balls to celebrate the World Cup.
"The bear is the symbol of Russia and we want to show to everyone that bear is a kind animal. It's an animal that wants to do sports and competes. This way we promote our country."
So,... if you're lucky enough to be traveling to Russia for the World Cup, why not bring back a souvenir so you can cherish the memories forever?
Choi Si-young, Arirang News.