India celebrated. Pakistan was crestfallen.
India celebrated. Pakistan was crestfallen.
South Africa had done it again. This could be the summary of the exciting new cricket tournament Twenty20 that was hosted in the country recently.
The past few weeks have seen cricket lovers bask in the Gauteng sunshine as they enjoyed the short-duration, fast paced action cricket.
Finally India made amends for their disastrous tour of the Carribean while denying Pakistan the same.
The fun was great by most accounts. The media coverage was good.
This suggests that our colleagues in cricket did an excellent job of hosting the visitors.
I think the country can once again feel proud that an important sporting event, albeit relatively small, went off without an incident and as it happens, did not set off people who say the country should not host major events because of crime levels.
Whatever it is that silenced them, should be sustained.
In faraway France, die Bokke seem to be playing with newfound gees that should make the swengus otherwise known as die manne met die snor very proud.
Despite all the "troubles", they have played with gusto and commitment and seem set to reaching and winning this round of the World Rugby Cup. We are all happy for that.
Back home things did not look that good this past week when some workers on the Green Point Stadium construction site decided to down tools thus threatening the project schedule of the construction of this new stadium.
This stadium is very important for the World Cup in 2010 in that one of the semifinals is going to be played there. That workers downed tools is not something that the South African Local Organising Committee is opposed to, but what has been disappointing has been the unprocedural nature of this strike action accompanied by inexplicable violence.
This sort of behaviour and attitude feed the impression that some South Africans are not committed to the success of the World Cup and worse still uphold violence as a means of resolving disputes.
We hope and trust that the workers who want to work will be allowed to do so unhindered and without any threats to their lives and livelihoods.
We also hope that whatever the cause of the dispute, the matter will be resolved soon between the contractor and the disgruntled workers.
On other fronts work continues apace with the new 2010 Chief Medical Officer, Dr Victor Ramathesele preparing for a sport medicine workshop to be held in Kimberley in early October.
The purpose of the workshop is to share with local sport medicine experts, the developments in Fifa sports medicine and the latest international thinking on football related health matters.
Immediately thereafter, LOC senior officials will take a Fifa technical delegation on a visit to stadiums that are being upgraded for the Confederations Cup, culminating with a visit to Durban for an inspection of the International Convention Centre.
The preliminary draw will take place there and thus will be discussed. Marketing and media workshops are also going to held in Durban at that time, and these call for very involved preparations on the part of all role players.
One individual will not be around though, and that is colleague and friend Marcus Siegler who headed Fifa media for several years.
Siegler leaves Fifa on Friday. He has been very supportive of South Africa and very generous with constructive advice in our preparations for the World Cup, and for that we are appreciative.
The LOC is also taking leave of Foreign Affairs expert Dr Eddie Maloka, who is taking up a new position with Nepad.
Maloka was responsible for the legacy programmes.
His friendship and professional relationship with the LOC guarantees us access to the extensive network that he has built on the African continent.
Gentlemen, on the road to the 2010 World Cup our paths will once again meet.
Tsela tshweu.
l Tim Modise is the 2010 World Cup SA Local Organising Committee's head of communications. - For your suggestions, queries and more on 2010 e.mailTimM@2010saloc.com
Twenty20 event silenced our detractors
India celebrated. Pakistan was crestfallen.
India celebrated. Pakistan was crestfallen.
South Africa had done it again. This could be the summary of the exciting new cricket tournament Twenty20 that was hosted in the country recently.
The past few weeks have seen cricket lovers bask in the Gauteng sunshine as they enjoyed the short-duration, fast paced action cricket.
Finally India made amends for their disastrous tour of the Carribean while denying Pakistan the same.
The fun was great by most accounts. The media coverage was good.
This suggests that our colleagues in cricket did an excellent job of hosting the visitors.
I think the country can once again feel proud that an important sporting event, albeit relatively small, went off without an incident and as it happens, did not set off people who say the country should not host major events because of crime levels.
Whatever it is that silenced them, should be sustained.
In faraway France, die Bokke seem to be playing with newfound gees that should make the swengus otherwise known as die manne met die snor very proud.
Despite all the "troubles", they have played with gusto and commitment and seem set to reaching and winning this round of the World Rugby Cup. We are all happy for that.
Back home things did not look that good this past week when some workers on the Green Point Stadium construction site decided to down tools thus threatening the project schedule of the construction of this new stadium.
This stadium is very important for the World Cup in 2010 in that one of the semifinals is going to be played there. That workers downed tools is not something that the South African Local Organising Committee is opposed to, but what has been disappointing has been the unprocedural nature of this strike action accompanied by inexplicable violence.
This sort of behaviour and attitude feed the impression that some South Africans are not committed to the success of the World Cup and worse still uphold violence as a means of resolving disputes.
We hope and trust that the workers who want to work will be allowed to do so unhindered and without any threats to their lives and livelihoods.
We also hope that whatever the cause of the dispute, the matter will be resolved soon between the contractor and the disgruntled workers.
On other fronts work continues apace with the new 2010 Chief Medical Officer, Dr Victor Ramathesele preparing for a sport medicine workshop to be held in Kimberley in early October.
The purpose of the workshop is to share with local sport medicine experts, the developments in Fifa sports medicine and the latest international thinking on football related health matters.
Immediately thereafter, LOC senior officials will take a Fifa technical delegation on a visit to stadiums that are being upgraded for the Confederations Cup, culminating with a visit to Durban for an inspection of the International Convention Centre.
The preliminary draw will take place there and thus will be discussed. Marketing and media workshops are also going to held in Durban at that time, and these call for very involved preparations on the part of all role players.
One individual will not be around though, and that is colleague and friend Marcus Siegler who headed Fifa media for several years.
Siegler leaves Fifa on Friday. He has been very supportive of South Africa and very generous with constructive advice in our preparations for the World Cup, and for that we are appreciative.
The LOC is also taking leave of Foreign Affairs expert Dr Eddie Maloka, who is taking up a new position with Nepad.
Maloka was responsible for the legacy programmes.
His friendship and professional relationship with the LOC guarantees us access to the extensive network that he has built on the African continent.
Gentlemen, on the road to the 2010 World Cup our paths will once again meet.
Tsela tshweu.
l Tim Modise is the 2010 World Cup SA Local Organising Committee's head of communications. - For your suggestions, queries and more on 2010 e.mailTimM@2010saloc.com