2016年南非世界杯吉祥物介绍

吉祥物是一只名为“zakumi”（暂译为扎库米）的明黄色的豹子。

其中za是南非的国际代码，寓意南非；kumi在很多非洲语言中是10的意思，代表世界杯在xx年举办。扎库米身着白色t恤，绿色短裤，一头打着许多结的运动长发，就像一个驰骋绿茵场上的足球明星。

组委会首席执行官丹尼·乔丹说，扎库米的整个筛选过程历时将近一年，设计和生产过程全部在南非进行。他解释说，最终选择豹的形象来作为世界杯吉祥物是因为南非的5大动物（狮子、大象、水牛、犀牛和豹）中，其他四个已被多次作为体育赛事的吉祥物使用，“豹是个新鲜的想法，”乔丹说，“扎库米”是“地道的南非人”，也是第一次在非洲举办的世界杯的理想形象大使，他年轻、机敏并且充满活力，一定会受到大家的喜爱。

自1966年英国世界杯首次发布吉祥物（一只狮子）以来，吉祥物在此后的世界杯赛事中发挥着日益重要的作用。

worldcupleopardmascotunveiled

thesouthafricaofficialmascot,aleopardknownaszakumi,isseenduringalaunchinaucklandpark,johannesburgseptember22,.themascotfortheworldcupinsouthafricawasunveiledinjohannesburgonmonday,withfifaoptingforaleopardfortheshowpiecefootballtournament'sfirstvisittoafrica.zakumiisyoung,vibrant,energetic,smart,self-confident,sociableandambitious,butalsowarm-hearted,localorganisingcommiteeceodannyjordaansaidatthetelevisedlaunch.[agencies]

johannesburg,southafrica-acuddlyleopardwithagreenafroleapedthroughabeadedcurtainmondayandintoworldcuphistory.theleopard,namedzakumi,wasunveiledasthemascotoftheworldcup,whichwilltakeplaceinsouthafrica.atzakumi'sintroductionatastatetvstudio,aperformerinazakumicostumekickedaroundafootballwithmarkfish,whohelpedleadsouthafricatotheafricancupofnationstitlein1996.

zakumiwasgivenabiographyandnameevokingsouthafrica'shistoryandhopes.thecharacterwasbornjune16,1994,tournamentorganizerssaid.theyeariswhenapartheidendedandthedateiscelebratedasyouthdaytomarkthesowetouprisingof1976,rememberedasthedaywhenyoungsouthafricansstruckablowagainstwhiterule.

thefirsttwolettersofzakumiarethecountry'sinitialsinafrikaans,oneofsouthafrica's11officiallanguages.kumimeans10 fortheyearofthetournamentinmanyafricanlanguages,worldcuporganizerssaid.

timmodise,spokesmanforthesouthafricanorganizingcommittee,saidzakumialsocanbeunderstoodascomehereinsouthernafricanlanguages.

theidea,designandrealizationofthemascotallcamefromsouthafrica,includingcorasimpson,whosecompanyjusteastofjohannesburgbuiltthecostumeformonday'slaunch.

theworldcupbringsbusinesstomycompany,simpsonsaid.

herinitialcontractwiththeorganizingcommitteewasworthlessthan250,000rand(aboutus$31,000),butsimpsonsaiditwouldopenotheropportunitiesandhadspreadoptimismamongherstaffofabout30.