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SA ready to launch 2010 World Cup logo |
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June 01 2006 at 08:39PM
South Africa will officially unveil its World Cup 2010 emblem in Berlin on July 7.
Significantly this will be before the end of the World Cup in Germany and, as such, is a first in the history of the tournament.
This will be followed by a concert in the German capital on the same evening and later South Africa will also unveil their African Legacy Programme - a new venture in that for the first time a hosting World Cup country will attempt to make the event one of total continental involvement. The aim is make it a truly African affair.
This was announced on Thursday by Danny Jordaan, CEO of the SA World Cup committee, at a media briefing at the ICC in Durban following another in the series of Host Cities Forum meetings aimed at consolidating all resources as the 2010 World Cup organisational programme takes shape.
Study structures in Germany
The forum meeting confirmed that at this
stage there was full co-operation throughout South Africa with regard
to the management and presentation of this major sporting event in
which the financial implications already far exceed anything ever
achieved at World Cup tournaments over the past 100 years.
The
Durban Host Cities Forum was the last before a delegation of South
Africans leave for Germany to study the structures in place for the
2006 event to give them a feel of what will be needed in South Africa
over the next four years.
Danny Jordaan pointed out that
agreements for 10 venues had been completed with nine cities and these
had been submitted to Fifa and subsequently confirmed by them.
He
said that a most frequently asked question about South Africa's hosting
of the prestigious event was whether it would be commercially viable.
He
was able to reveal that South Africa had so far managed to complete 70
percent of the contracts including broadcasting rights, sponsorships
and other forms of involvement. "That is because of the high level of
confidence of the World Cup in South Africa," said Jordaan.
Commercially viable
He stressed that the most important issue at the moment is the construction of the hosting stadiums.
In June 2009 South Africa will host the Confederation Cup ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
"Everything
is on track as we have more than the 10 stadiums at our disposal
including five that will be built over the next couple of years in Cape
Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Nelspruit and Polokwane."
As far
as the operating budget for World Cup 2010 is concerned, Jordaan
revealed that all the revenue has already been secured - approximately
R3,2-billion which is needed to deliver this event.
Mike
Sutcliffe, Durban City manager, confirmed that the city, as a semifinal
venue, was well on track to play its full role in the preparations
along with the other participating cities and interested parties.
Danny
Jordaan said: "Our research has shown that the World Cup in South
Africa will generate the highest revenue ever for Fifa in the history
of the tournament.
"It is essential, therefore, that we
emphasise that this is an African World Cup in the making but that it
will be world class. It is already a commercial success in that it has
outperformed any previous World Cup tournament over the past century."
The
clear message was that South Africa's World Cup 2010 success rating
would depend on the total support of the whole nation to deliver a
world class event.
In conclusion Jordaan said: "Africa has
waited 100 years for this event. It is our responsibility to ensure
that the continent does not have to wait another 100 years for a second
bite of the cherry."
Jordaan leaves for Germany on Friday night. - Sapa
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