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SA Tourism planning huge 2010 diski jol

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SA Tourism planning huge 2010 diski jol


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LIKE the Spanish macarena, which was a worldwide hit, tourism officials are hoping South Africa’s very own diski dance will get foreigners jiving into the country for the 2010 soccer World Cup.

The diski, which is a series of choreographed soccer moves, is the latest tool in the box of SA Tourism to attract foreign visitors to the soccer spectacle.

SA Tourism launched its 2010 global marketing campaign at Indaba — one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar — which began on Saturday and ended yesterday at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre.

The body’s general events manager, Sugen Pillay, said a TV advertisement featuring the dance will be aired on global channels, including CNN, BBC, Eurosport and Skysport, until next year’s World Cup and he hoped soccer fans would learn to perform it.

He said the dance focuses on South Africa as a nation, showcasing the country’s hospitality and its people’s friendliness.

“The minute-long advert revolves around the dance, which a little boy starts, and it spills onto the streets of Joburg and to different settings. Eventually, it ends on a soccer pitch, where this little boy bicycle- kicks the ball into the net,” Pillay said.

“The whole concept is to showcase our rhythm as a nation, the passion and celebration of our people. The idea is to get people from around the world to learn the dance and we hope it could become something like the macarena.”

Pillay said the message behind the dance was “welcoming people” and it was not focused on the country’s wildlife and beaches because “people know about all that”.

“Soccer fans only want to come here and have a good time. We are saying that when you come for the World Cup, you will have a party like you’ve never had before.”

South Africans can learn the dance through a local ad, which will run on TV, as well as at promotions in various cities and provinces.
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Manchester United moves closer to title

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Manchester United moves closer to title


LONDON – Manchester United held its three-point margin atop the Premier League by beating neighbor Manchester City 2-0 on Sunday while Chelsea romped to a 4-1 victory at Arsenal.

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Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 18th league goal of the season with a free kick at Old Trafford and Carlos Tevez added the second with a shot from the edge of the area in the 45th to put United within four points of a third Premier League title in a row and 11th in 17 seasons under manager Alex Ferguson.

The victory maintained Man United’s lead with a game in hand despite Liverpool’s 3-0 win at West Ham on Saturday, and Ferguson’s stars can move closer to the title by winning at Wigan on Wednesday.

The two blemishes on United’s performance, however, were the behavior of the two scorers.

Ronaldo was angry at being taken off despite another standout performance and sat on the bench shaking his head. Tevez was reported earlier Sunday to have said he was frustrated United had not turned his loan move from West Ham and was resigned to leaving the club at the end of the season.

After scoring, the Argentina striker cupped his ears to milk the applause from the United fans who want him to stay.

Asked about Tevez’ future, Ferguson told a TV reporter: “I’m not going into that at all, OK?”

While Man United moved closer to the title, Chelsea underlined why it will challenge next season with a 4-1 victory at Arsenal.

After Alex and Nicolas Anelka gave Chelsea a 2-0 halftime lead, an own goal by Kolo Tour in the 49th virtually put the game out of reach. Although Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner scored, Florent Malouda added a fourth in the 86th minute.

Chelsea is three points behind Liverpool as it tries to maintain its record of finishing in the top two in five seasons.

In contrast, Arsenal is guaranteed to finish fourth for the third season in four with no top-two finish during that time. That followed an eight-season spell when the Gunners were never out of the top two, winning three titles.

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Rugby: South Africa ‘bluffing’, says O’Neill

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Rugby: South Africa ‘bluffing’, says O’Neill


SYDNEY – South Africa’s threat to defect to northern hemisphere competitions remains a bluff, says Australian Rugby Union (ARU) chief executive John O’Neill, as the Sanzar nations try to thrash out a Super rugby solution in Dublin this week.

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After negotiations which O’Neill said had dragged on for almost a year, he will join New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) chief executive Steve Tew and South African officials on Friday in a bid to resolve the impasse which has left a proposed Super 15 in limbo.

Australia and New Zealand have discussed an alternative transtasman competition for 2011, while South Africa has said it intends to head north if its demands are not met.

“That’s been a long-held bluff, in my view. From all the enquiries we’ve made, we believe there isn’t an exit for them in the north,” O’Neill told Sydney radio station 2KY today.

“What has happened is Australia and New Zealand, out of pure frustration, have worked on a trans-Tasman competition which does work, with five or six teams from Australia and five or six from New Zealand.

“It’s a Super 10 or Super 12, played over two rounds, and bringing in Japan in a couple of years time. It’s a pretty elegant solution.

“The roles have changed in that we have a plan B and I’m not sure South Africa do.”

A major sticking point remained South Africa’s refusal to shift its domestic Currie Cup competition in the calendar, meaning Super rugby would start in February and cover a similar time frame to its current schedule.

Australia and New Zealand want the extended three-conference Super 15 competition to run from March to August, with the Tri-Nations tests to follow.

O’Neill also objected to South Africa pushing for a sixth team, which would play in the Australian conference.

He said the 15th team should come from Australia, with Melbourne and Gold Coast contenders, and there was potential for it to be a joint venture franchise with New Zealand.

“On a couple of occasions we thought we’d had an agreement but the South Africans have changed their minds. They’re very unpredictable,” O’Neill said.

“We don’t want South Africa to drop out of Super rugby, we want them to stay in, but the conditions they’re attaching to their participation are, in our view, unreasonable.”

The Sanzar board meeting needs to come up with a 2011 competition proposal for a new broadcasting deal to News Ltd and SuperSport by June 30.

O’Neill said Australia was in the most competitive football market in the world, including the Australian Football League, National Rugby League and A-League soccer, and a 24-week Super competition followed by Tri-Nations tests was a “compelling product”.

The Dublin meeting will also dovetail with the International Rugby Board’s rules forum to decide how many of the Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) will be adopted.

O’Neill was confident most of the Super 14 ELVs would be approved, but not the most controversial one.

“We’re basically going to get up on 10 out of 13 (ELVs) but we’ve lost out on the sanctions, the short arm (free kick) versus the long arm (penalty).

“Those votes will go along party lines. England, Ireland and Wales never even trialled those ELVs so the likelihood of them voting for them was never going to happen.

“It’s time to move on, just settle on one set of laws.”

Sourced via nzherald.co.nz

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Manchester United dominates Arsenal, 3-1

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Manchester United dominates Arsenal, 3-1


Defending champion Manchester United swept into the final of soccer’s European Champions League on Tuesday night by routing an out-of-sorts and out-of-sync Arsenal, 3-1, at the Emirates Stadium in London.

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That gave the Red Devils a 4-1 aggregate victory in the home-and-home series and the chance to play the winner of Wednesday’s Chelsea-Barcelona semifinal in the May 27 final in Rome.

So much for the news. Now for the intrigue.

On the same day that it was playing its most important match of the year so far, word leaked out from Manchester United that the team was considering a world-record $94-million offer for Bayern Munich’s French playmaker Franck Ribery.

The offer supposedly would be contingent upon United’s Portuguese standout, Cristiano Ronaldo, leaving for Real Madrid this summer.

Ronaldo had said earlier in the week that, contrary to earlier desires, he would be happy to remain with the reigning English, European and world champions. “I am no longer thinking of Madrid,” Ronaldo said. “That dream is dead.”

But Tuesday’s published report that Manchester United already was seeking other options left Ronaldo with only one way to respond, and he did just that.

Ronaldo, 24, in an imperious performance befitting his status as the reigning FIFA world player of the year, created United’s first goal with a superb cutback pass that caused Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs to slip and fall and allowed United’s Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung to score after only eight minutes.

Three minutes later, Ronaldo unleashed a 39-yard free kick that tore into the back of the net just inside the right post and beyond the fingertips of Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

Sixteen minutes into the second half Ronaldo started and finished a sublime counter-attack by United. He back-heeled the ball to Park, who passed to Wayne Rooney out on the left. Rooney crossed the ball into the path of Ronaldo, who fired it past Almunia for his 25th goal of the season.

“I thought tonight they couldn’t handle him,” Manchester United Coach Alex Ferguson said. “We needed someone to give them real problems, and Ronaldo in that form . . . well, he’s fantastic.”

A smiling Ronaldo acknowledged his performance. “I think I am back to my best, yes,” he said. “Certainly in the last few games.”

Ferguson, who will be seeking his third Champions League title, said experience had mastered youth.

“They are a young team, and I don’t think whatever level you play at teams can recover from two quick goals like that,” he said. Arsenal Coach Arsene Wenger, who believed his team had a chance in the second leg after holding United to only a one-goal victory in Manchester last week, was shell-shocked.

“We do not have the feeling that we played a semifinal in the Champions League because it was over after 10 minutes,” he said. Arsenal got a late goal on a penalty kick by Robin van Persie after a red-card foul by Darren Fletcher that will cause him to miss the final.

Chelsea, last season’s runner-up to United, plays host to Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday after tying, 0-0, in Spain.

“If you ask me who I would like to play in the final, neither of them,” Ferguson joked. “I think we should have a bye.”

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Palermo seals Boca passage in Copa Libertadores

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Palermo seals Boca passage in Copa Libertadores


Martin Palermo scored twice as Argentina’s Boca Juniors secured a place in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores after a 3-0 win over Venezuela’s Deportivo Tachira secured their place at the top of Group Two.

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Former Villarreal and Estudiantes striker Palermo converted from the penalty spot after being fouled by Guillermo Chacon to put the hosts ahead before adding a second four minutes after the hour mark.

His brace took him to 200 career goals for Boca before Rodrigo Palacio wrapped up the win with a close range finish.

After finishing top of the table, Boca will face Uruguay’s Defensor Sporting for a place in the quarter-finals.

Ecuador’s Deportivo Cuenca secured second place behind Boca after sharing a 1-1 draw with already-eliminated Guarani in Paraguay.

Rodrigo Texeira headed the visitors ahead after just two minutes but Osvaldo Diaz’s free-kick at the start of the second half earned his side a point as Cuenca advanced to a last 16 meeting with Venezuela’s Caracas.

In Group Three, Uruguay’s Nacional fought back from a goal down to beat Nacional of Paraguay 3-1 and earn top spot and a meeting with Mexico’s San Luis.

Jorge Nunez opened the scoring for the visitors as he headed home Diego Arevalo’s cross.

But Daniel Arismendi equalised for the home side on the half hour mark before Sebastian Coates and Nicolas Lodeiro secured the win in the second half.

Second-placed Peruvians Universidad San Martin suffered a 3-0 defeat by already-eliminated River Plate of Argentina ahead of their last 16 meeting with Group seven winners Gremio from Brazil.

Gustavo Bou opened the scoring for River before midfielder Rubens Sambueza doubled the lead and Diego Barrado sealed the win after the break.

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Africans to boost World Cup power

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Africans to boost World Cup power


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Twelve of South Africa’s neighbours have pledged to supply electricity to help prevent power cuts during the 2010 football World Cup.

The Southern African Power Pool (Sapp), whose members already share electricity supplies, promised to transmit extra power to South Africa.

South Africa was hit by severe power cuts last year, which led some to doubt its ability to stage the showpiece.

The shortages led South Africa to cut some power supplies to its neighbours.

South Africa’s state-owned power company Eskom welcomed the pledges made at a meeting in the Mozambican capital, Maputo.

“This initiative confirms that the 2010 FIFA World Cup is truly and indeed an African event,” said Eskom Project 2010 unit managing director Johnny Dladla.

This is the first time the World Cup has been hosted in Africa.

Some Sapp members, such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique, normally import power from South Africa, while others also suffer power shortages.

The other Sapp members are: Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia.

Sapp has a long-standing plan to build a huge dam in DR Congo, which would provide electricity to the whole region.
Sourced via news.bbc.co.uk

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Newcastle draw closer to drop as Portsmouth tighten grip on survival

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Newcastle draw closer to drop as Portsmouth tighten grip on survival


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Newcastle 0 Portsmouth 0: MUCH MORE of this and Alan Shearer will be begging to be restored to the sanctuary of the Match of the Day sofa. On a night when Portsmouth tightened their grasp on Premier League survival, Newcastle United were left clinging on by finger nails. It really will take a “great escape” to save Shearer’s side from Championship football after Portsmouth’s right back Glenn Johnson and their ex-Newcastle centre-half Sylvain Distin conspired to push their hosts clearer to relegation.
Shearer dropped Kevin Nolan but restored Fabricio Coloccini to a back four also including the fit again left back Jose Enrique. Further forward there was a starting place in central midfield for Alan Smith while Michael Owen was deployed just behind Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins.

Yet if Viduka displayed his ring rust when failing to connect with a Damien Duff cross, Coloccini found himself heavily involved at the other end. First the Argentine defender conceded a free kick just outside the area following a foul on David Nugent.

Portsmouth proceeded to throw Shearer’s defence into disarray when Johnson dribbled round the wall rather than shooting from that dead ball but Coloccini redeemed his reputation by scooping the ball clear for a corner. With Johnson’s defending at right back proving resourceful, Newcastle were struggling to deconstruct Paul Hart’s backline in which Sylvain Distin, himself once of this parish, did well to outpace Martins as the Nigerian accelerated towards the area.

Soon Shearer was appealing for a penalty for an alleged handball by Hermann Hreidarsson when confronted with a Smith shot. Mike Riley waved play on. Hreidarsson did well to divert a Viduka strike but it was not until the 34th minute that Portsmouth’s Sean Davis mustered the first proper shot on target, a curling effort comfortably repelled by Steve Harper.

Soon David James, too, was called to arms, diving low to save a Duff shot near the base of a post. Yet although Smith sent a shot flashing over the bar, Viduka did likewise with a header and, to Shearer’s chagrin, Martins missed a sitter, Hart’s side menaced sporadically on the break.

Bar cueing up that Smith effort, little had been seen of Owen during the first period but, courtesy of a backheel, he prefaced a Viduka strike which prompted a routine James save at the outset of the second half. Later, Portsmouth’s goalkeeper would see his brave gamble in racing way out of his area to deny Martins pay dividends. Coloccini was fortunate not to concede a penalty for felling Peter Crouch as Riley gave him the benefit of the doubt.

James got away with dropping a Duff cross but redeemed himself as Owen finally unleashed a dangerous shot, denying the striker with his legs. With the clock ticking down Shearer replaced Viduka with Andy Carroll. Yet although Martins had a weak penalty claim, most of the better attacking came at the other end.

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique (Guthrie 28), Smith, Butt (Gutierrez 71), Duff, Viduka (Carroll 64), Martins, Owen. Subs not used: Krul, Barton, Lovenkrands, Edgar. Booked: Bassong, Carroll.

PORTSMOUTH: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Davis, Belhadj, Hughes, Mullins, Nugent (Pennant 65), Crouch. Subs not used: Begovic, Pamarot, Utaka, Cranie, Kanu, Basinas. Booked: Hreidarsson, Johnson.

Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

Remaining Fixtures

Saturday – Chelsea v Fulham, Man City v Blackburn, Middlesbrough v Man Utd, Portsmouth v Arsenal, Stoke City v West Ham, Tottenham v WBA, Wigan v Bolton. Sunday – Liverpool v Newcastle, Sunderland v Everton. Monday – Aston Villa v Hull. Sat, May 9 – Blackburn v Portsmouth, Bolton v Sunderland, Everton v Tottenham, Fulham v Aston Villa, Hull v Stoke, WBA v Wigan, West Ham v Liverpool. May 10 – Arsenal v Chelsea, Man Utd v Man City. May 11 – Newcastle v Middlesbrough. May 13 – Wigan v Man Utd. Sat, May 16 – Bolton v Hull, Everton v West Ham, Man Utd v Arsenal, Middlesbrough v Aston Villa, Newcastle v Fulham, Stoke v Wigan, Tottenham v Man City. May 17 – Chelsea v Blackburn, WBA v Liverpool. May 18 – Portsmouth v Sunderland. Sun, May 24 – Arsenal v Stoke, Aston Villa v Newcastle, Blackburn v WBA, Fulham v Everton, Hull v Man Utd, Liverpool v Tottenham, Man City v Bolton, Sunderland v Chelsea, West Ham v Middlesbrough, Wigan v Portsmouth.

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U.S. Soccer Fans Outpacing M.L.S.

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U.S. Soccer Fans Outpacing M.L.S.


The biggest challenge facing Major League Soccer is not the country’s daunting economic recession nor the lack of soccer-specific stadiums. Commissioner Don Garber is not worried about the league’s discordant March-to-November schedule, he said, and he is sanguine about competing with other leagues in a crowded U.S. sports landscape.

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No, the league’s biggest problem right now: its fans.

Soccer fans in this country are increasingly sophisticated, said Garber, and M.L.S. has not been able to keep pace with their demands.

“Fans want to see stars. They want more games on TV and they want an increased quality of play,” he said Thursday in a meeting with editors and reporters from the Associated Press Sports Editors conference. “That’s good for us. We’re in the soccer business.”

The business of soccer has been growing. Last year, revenue and attendance were up around the league, said Garber. A new soccer-specific stadium opened in Sandy, Utah, home of Real Salt Lake, and a new stadium for the New York Red Bulls is under construction in New Jersey. This season, M.L.S. added a new, insanely popular team in Seattle. And teams in Portland and Vancouver will join the league in the next two years.

But the quality of M.L.S. lags behind that of top European and Latin American leagues, and international soccer continues to drive fans’ passions more than the U.S. domestic league. Exposure to top-level international soccer and foreign leagues via TV and the Internet, combined with the changing demographics of the country, has increased demand for quality “content,” Garber said. This is a new challenge for the league, one Garber didn’t anticipate for another ten years.

To meet the challenge, clubs must put a better product on the field, and that requires better players. Since young American players are not getting better fast enough, said Garber, teams must look overseas to find talent. The league is considering increasing the number of foreign players a team can sign and evaluating whether to allow teams to sign more than one designated player like Cuauhtémoc Blanco in Chicago or the L.A. Galaxy’s David Beckham.

This will be increasingly important for the league when it needs 60 new M.L.S.-caliber players over the next two years to fill the rosters of Portland and Vancouver. But how can M.L.S. do this without draining an already shallow talent pool? Is the league diluting an already vulnerable product?

“I don’t think we’re near the realm of over-expansion,” said Garber. “When is enough? Probably 20 teams in four to six to eight to 10 years.”

M.L.S. will add Philadelphia next season and its 17th (Vancouver) and 18th (Portland) clubs in 2011. But 19 and 20 may not come until 2018, the commissioner said.

“We’re not trying to create soccer fans,” he added. “We’re trying to convert soccer fans into fans of M.L.S.”

Sourced via nytimes.com

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Everton dampen Chelsea’s title hopes with draw

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Everton dampen Chelsea’s title hopes with draw


LONDON — Chelsea’s English Premier League title hopes all but disappeared in a dull 0-0 draw with Everton on Wednesday.
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With Manchester United beating Portsmouth 2-0, it led Liverpool by three points and third-place Chelsea by six in the standings, and still with a game in hand.

Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink conceded his side was no longer in the title chase, and could focus on the Champions League semifinals starting next week and a rematch with Everton in the FA Cup final on May 30.

“We lost two points tonight,” Hiddink said. “You must be realistic that maybe mathematically there is still a chance but also on the other hand, you cannot waste any points.

“We always said the pressure was more on Liverpool and Chelsea regarding the title race because United have a game in hand.

“Everyone is disappointed. We knew it was difficult to go for the title so when you drop two points there is disappointment of course. But this team is able to cope with that and focus ourselves on the difficult game against Barcelona next week.”

Chelsea lacked inspiration and produced its best chance only in injury time, when Didier Drogba hit the crossbar while Everton, in sixth place and 21 points off the pace, worked hard to blunt the London club but missed chances.

Everton failed to capitalize on a string of first-half chances, notably Brazilian forward Jo, loaned from Manchester City in January.

In the third minute his shot from a pinpoint cross by midfielder Steven Pienaar flew straight at goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Four minutes later, Jo ran clear on goal but Cech advanced to save with his feet. Just before halftime, Jo again had only Cech to beat but he slipped on the slick Stamford Bridge turf and miskicked.

Pienaar’s long-range shot in the 22nd minute flew wide and in the 35th, Jo found midfielder Tim Cahill in the area but the Australian dragged the ball on the turn and Cech made the save.

Cahill’s header just after the break forced a fine save from a diving Cech.

“Cech made some good saves,” Hiddink said. “At the end he was very brave especially regarding his past (head) injury. He put his head into a dangerous situation and had a good performance.”

In contrast, Everton keeper Tim Howard was little troubled by a Chelsea attack that looked toothless after the exertions of the last week, including a 4-4 draw with Liverpool to reach the Champions League semifinals, then a fast-paced 2-1 win over Arsenal to make the FA Cup final.

Drogba, who scored in both previous games, was strong but patchy despite his late strike at the woodwork.

Nicolas Anelka and Michael Essien were substituted midway through the second half by Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel, celebrating his 22nd birthday, as Chelsea began to drive forward with more purpose. Howard was called into action immediately when captain John Terry picked up the ball at halfway, raced forward and struck from 30 yards (meters) forcing the keeper into a diving save.

Everton coach David Moyes was happy with the draw after shutting out Manchester United in the FA Cup semifinals last weekend and subduing Chelsea for another 90.

“We didn’t have a massive amount of recovery before coming here to play a team who are in good form. So I think a point was a good result for us,” Moyes said.

“It means a lot to me to finish fifth. If we do it this year it will be four top-six finishes out of five. So what we’ve done is a decent effort and Everton are becoming a side that is competing at a top level.”

Sourced via usatoday.com

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South Africa goes crazy for Indian cricket

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South Africa goes crazy for Indian cricket


Given that the IPL’s opening ceremony is just four days before the South African national elections, it is no wonder that cricket and political posters are vying for the top spot in outdoor advertising.

Along the main road in Johannesburg, IPL posters, with the slogan “The heat is coming”, compete for space with the election posters of parties such as the ANC, the newly-formed Cope and the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Just days after the announcement that South Africa would be IPL’s home for the second season, more than 100 Facebook groups had been started.

And an average of 80% of tickets have already been sold for each match.

Instant cash injection

Cleo Leshoro, 32, is not normally a cricket fan but she is concerned that she has yet to get her hands the elusive tickets.

“It’s an opportunity to watch the games, be part of the entertainment that comes with the IPL – especially Bollywood. I get to learn about that culture that is very different to mine,” she said.

In a drive through Randburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, I was stopped by two vendors trying to sell IPL cricket paraphernalia.

With the elections looming, they jokingly suggest that perhaps Shane Warne’s new delivery should be called “the Zuma” (after the man tipped to be the next president) instead of “the zooter”.

With the economy not immune to the global slowdown, reports that the tournament could provide a 1m rand ($112,000; £75,000) cash injection direct to the tax coffers are other reason to cheer.

Kamil Reddy, 32, a computer science PhD student at the University of Pretoria, says the economic benefits will be felt widely.

He points out that thousands of people will require accommodation for the duration of the tournament, from players to officials and fans.

“In addition they will frequent restaurants and tourist attractions and make use of local transport.”

But for Mr Reddy, it is not all about the money.

He too is an avid cricket fan, who watched the IPL last year on TV.

“It was some of the most exciting cricket I’ve ever watched. So, to have it come to SA is awesome – especially with the prospect of watching it live.”

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty in Cape Town on 16/4/09

Bollywood stars such as Shilpa Shetty are also drawing the crowds

He is quick to add that these games cannot quite be compared to South Africa’s hosting of the Cricket World Cup in 2003 because that “was a matter of national pride”.

“Since I’m South African, that means a lot more to me. The IPL is an Indian tournament we just happen to be hosting due to unfortunate circumstances,” he said.

“The World Cup is also a bigger tournament due to the fact that it’s nation vs nation, rather than franchise vs franchise.”

Stephen Kirker, 40, is a dad of two teenagers and would like to attend as many games as possible in Gauteng province with the entire family.

For Stephen, the IPL is a “breath of fresh air”.

“I’ve been a cricket fan for a long time but I have never seen such excitement surround a cricket tournament before,” he said.

“Personally, I prefer first class cricket – but the interest that IPL has generated has created a new interest in that format for me.”

Bollywood glamour

Mr Reddy does have some concerns about security – the reason why the tournament was switched from India.

He says attacks could happen anywhere but he does not think that is very likely, “which is why I intend going to a match or two”.

Varshan Sookhun, 29, host of a Bollywood chart show on the Lotus FM radio station, says that security is the last thing on the minds of Bollywood fans in Durban.

They want to see the Bollywood stars, the cricket heroes and their Wags (wives and girlfriends).

Mumbai Indian cricket team members in Cape Town on 16/4/09

Security fears in India led to the last-minute change of venue

With Durban home to the largest number of Indians in a city outside India, it is not surprising that tickets there are almost sold out.

“I’m inundated with calls and requests from listeners about the games and the actors,” he said.

“A listener from Cape Town called me about securing a spot in the city so that she could get a glimpse of her favourite Bollywood actors and cricket players during the IPL parade. She was not at all concerned about the outcome of the matches.”

Bollywood star and owner of the Kolkotta Knight Riders, Shah Rakh Khan, has attracted the most attention here.

He told me in an interview last week he was sad that the game was not in his home country as the sporting code is followed like a religion.

However, based on the South Africans’ response so far, it seems as if Mr Khan will have nothing to worry about.

IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi and his team have taken two-and-a-half weeks to do what Ali Bacher did in two-and-a-half years when he South Africa hosted the Cricket World Cup.

But the bottom line is that this cricket-crazed nation is lapping it all up.

I for one have secured a seat at the Wanderers cricket ground in Johannesburg as soon as I am done covering our own national elections.

Sourced via bbc.co.uk

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