How will you say ‘It Is Time’, in Sotho, which is one of the 11 accepted South African languages. Don’t know? Well, you will say, Ke Nako.
A month long football World Cup that is actually the leading sports extravaganza would be starting in South Africa on Friday. It has happened for the first time in the history of Olympics, that the event is being organized in Africa.
South Africa is known as one of the most colorful countries all over the globe. However, this event would be the largest, nosiest and the most colorful festivity that the South African’s are going to host with nearly half a million spectators who would visit the country from worldwide to watch the games.
The country is in full high spirits. People on the road are blowing vuvuzelas that are horns made from plastic which have now become the symbol of the World Cup. Shopkeepers are selling flags. The Soccer city is virtually getting covered with spit and polish, where Mexico is going to play a match against the hosts on the very first day of the event. The weather remained fine; Nelson Mandela will attend the event, his grandson Mandla said
South Africa hopes that for the next one month the world would talk about Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo rather than crime, unemployment and AIDS.
A word of caution about being away from unlawful actions as well as requests to help the weak, are doing rounds on the FM radio stations.
Several questions are popping up in mind. Will this winter be a season of dissatisfaction for Diego Maradona or will he join Franz Beckenbauer and Mario Zagallo in an elite club, that is of World Cup winners as captain and coach? Or will Dunga do that?
Will England be able to remove the curse of loosing from the past 44 years under the guidance of an Italian coach? Will Fabio Cannavaro be the first captain to lift the gold statuette that travels in a Luis Vuitton case twice in succession? Will any of the teams of African go ahead of quarter-finals?
From July 11, 10 venues and 64 matches would give all the answers.
The local media has reported that South Africa has spent an amount of 33 billion rand which is about Rs. 20,000 crore in the infrastructure related World Cup. Although all this has happened on a much nigger scale but the people in Delhi should be aware that new stadiums have been built, old ones renovated and the transportation system that includes a high-speed train and a new bus system has been upgraded for 19 billion rand that is about Rs. 11,500 crore.
The world’s top football organization, FIFA, claims that between 2006-10, the World Cup will add 55.7 billion rand which us around Rs 33,800 crore to the economy of South Africa.
“It will be a uniting factor for the nation,” said Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla. He, who is also the head of the Mvezo village which is also the birth place of the anti-apartheid guru.
Patrick Vieira, who is a World Cup and European championship winner with France, on Thursday morning said, “South Africa will benefit but the effects of this World Cup will be felt by all of Africa.”
This is not only football for South Africa. They have made sure that they have made the best arrangements and would be wonderful hosts.
Between each World Cup, the time period of three years and 11 months when India is in the grip of cricket, they would also get into the mood of enjoying football for the next one month. India like other 172 countries who were not eligible, will sit back with a beer and enjoy”, as a former England coach said in a different context.
A month long football World Cup that is actually the leading sports extravaganza would be starting in South Africa on Friday. It has happened for the first time in the history of Olympics, that the event is being organized in Africa.
South Africa is known as one of the most colorful countries all over the globe. However, this event would be the largest, nosiest and the most colorful festivity that the South African’s are going to host with nearly half a million spectators who would visit the country from worldwide to watch the games.
The country is in full high spirits. People on the road are blowing vuvuzelas that are horns made from plastic which have now become the symbol of the World Cup. Shopkeepers are selling flags. The Soccer city is virtually getting covered with spit and polish, where Mexico is going to play a match against the hosts on the very first day of the event. The weather remained fine; Nelson Mandela will attend the event, his grandson Mandla said
South Africa hopes that for the next one month the world would talk about Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo rather than crime, unemployment and AIDS.
A word of caution about being away from unlawful actions as well as requests to help the weak, are doing rounds on the FM radio stations.
Several questions are popping up in mind. Will this winter be a season of dissatisfaction for Diego Maradona or will he join Franz Beckenbauer and Mario Zagallo in an elite club, that is of World Cup winners as captain and coach? Or will Dunga do that?
Will England be able to remove the curse of loosing from the past 44 years under the guidance of an Italian coach? Will Fabio Cannavaro be the first captain to lift the gold statuette that travels in a Luis Vuitton case twice in succession? Will any of the teams of African go ahead of quarter-finals?
From July 11, 10 venues and 64 matches would give all the answers.
The local media has reported that South Africa has spent an amount of 33 billion rand which is about Rs. 20,000 crore in the infrastructure related World Cup. Although all this has happened on a much nigger scale but the people in Delhi should be aware that new stadiums have been built, old ones renovated and the transportation system that includes a high-speed train and a new bus system has been upgraded for 19 billion rand that is about Rs. 11,500 crore.
The world’s top football organization, FIFA, claims that between 2006-10, the World Cup will add 55.7 billion rand which us around Rs 33,800 crore to the economy of South Africa.
“It will be a uniting factor for the nation,” said Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla. He, who is also the head of the Mvezo village which is also the birth place of the anti-apartheid guru.
Patrick Vieira, who is a World Cup and European championship winner with France, on Thursday morning said, “South Africa will benefit but the effects of this World Cup will be felt by all of Africa.”
This is not only football for South Africa. They have made sure that they have made the best arrangements and would be wonderful hosts.
Between each World Cup, the time period of three years and 11 months when India is in the grip of cricket, they would also get into the mood of enjoying football for the next one month. India like other 172 countries who were not eligible, will sit back with a beer and enjoy”, as a former England coach said in a different context.
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