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'2010 WC will benefit Africa'
06/03/2007 22:31 - (SA)
Bongani Mlangeni
South Africa's Sport and Recreation Minister Makhenkesi Stofile has highlighted the long lasting benefits Africans will gain from the legacy projects planned around the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
Speaking to BuaNews on Tuesday at a workshop on the 2010 World Cup African Legacy Programme, Minister Stofile said ordinary South Africans and Africans at large would benefit through initiatives such the promotion of tourism and the development of infrastructure.
"If you build roads, it is ordinary South Africans who will travel on those roads, if you build stadiums it is ordinary South Africans who will play there and enjoy themselves and this is the legacy that the world cup will leave," he said.
Legacy projects are initiatives linked to the soccer tournament, but set to benefit the country long after the final whistle has sounded at the close of the last match in June 2010.
The minister added that other benefits of the 2010 Fifa World Cup would be the increase in the number of sports managers in the continent.
Tourism boom expected
"Last year we started an initiative with Wits Business School, of training sports managers. Fifa has agreed to participate in that programme of intensifying the training of good sport managers," he said.
This, he said, was part of the legacy that "our children" and the future of football and sport would gain from the games.
Various African countries also stand to benefit from the tourism boom expected during the tournament.
According to the minister, the South African government and Fifa have agreed that the international teams participating in the tournament will be free to conduct their training camps in neighbouring countries.
"If Brazil camps in Mozambique and plays a friendly match with England, it doesn't matter for the people of Mozambique whether is a world cup match or not. They will benefit from the spin offs that come with such a game," said the minister.
'Countries must do homework'
He cautioned that these countries would need to go out and market themselves as ideal tourism destinations.
The minister said: "They must do their homework. Unless neighbours have the requisite facilities and amenities they will not be able to attract these international teams.
"They must go out and lobby them, put together tourism packages that are attractive and would make all participating countries come to their countries."
The African legacy programmes are aimed at promoting and supporting African renaissance objectives and at supporting and promoting the development of football on the continent.
BuaNews
- News24
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