BBC’s online, radio stations go interactive with Fifa Cup

BBC’s online, radio stations go interactive with Fifa Cup

BBC

MUMBAI: The referee has booked your favourite player, your team has lost a crucial match and a star player has shaved off his famous locks.

UK pubcaster The BBC has announced an interactive initiative across online and radio. World Cup Have Your Say will give football fans across the world an opportunity to have a global rant on the Fifa World Cup everyday from 9 June 2006 to 9 July 2006.

World Cup Have Your Say will give supporters across the globe opportunities to share their opinions on everything ranging from offside decisions and goal celebrations, team selections and refereeing to the best players and bad haircuts.

The occasional big name will pop up to give their personal view on the tournament and listeners itching to speak to them can do so. Ay bbcnews.com/worldhaveyoursay visitors can listen live.

The BBC will also provide daily, international coverage of the World Cup in 33 languages including Hindi. BBC Hindi reporter Manak Gupta is travelling to Germany to bring special reports on all 32 teams and their fans. BBC Hindi World Cup reports will be heard for six weeks on India's main national broadcaster All India Radio's Gold 106.4 FM and Rajdhani 666 MW.

These reports will also be relayed by All India Radio's 65 other major stations at 0705 local time starting 31 May until 10 July.

Mumbai based partner station Go 92.5 FM will also carry BBC Hindi's coverage of the tournament. Manak's reports will be available in text and audio online at bbchindi.com and bbcnews.com

BBC Vietnamese reporter Hong Thanh will be in Germany for a week bringing the excitement of the games for reports on air and online. Listeners can also expect daily bulletins rounding up each match as well as stories from around the tournament.

bbcvietnamese.com is hosting an online special where football fans can talk about anything to do with the World Cup or football in general such as match fixing and bribery which is said to be affecting the Vietnamese's national team, and why are millions of young Vietnamese, including women, appearing to love European and Brazilian teams more than their own?

Visitors can also find out about the teams taking part in the tournament, read features on young football talents and enter competitions.