Ambassador Confident IPL, Confederations Cup Will Prepare SA Security for World Cup

Its current experience hosting the Indian Premier League cricket tournament and the Confederations Cup will be sufficient practice for South Africa to maintain security during the World Cup, according to the country's US ambassador.

South Africa's US ambassador Welile Nhlapo said on Monday that past cricket and Rugby World Cup successes together with the ongoing cricket matches moved from India for security reasons will allow for greater testing of security measures.

"These events will give us the chance to deal with all sorts of situations, give us time to correct anything that might be needed and provide a secure World Cup," Nhlapo said. "By the time we host we will be ready."

Source:
IPL boosts SA confidence for World Cup
Mail & Guardian
April 28, 2009

1 Billion Rand Expected from IPL

During the tournament's five week run, the Indian Premier League cricket tournament is expected to pull in roughly 1 billion rand (~$111 million US) to the South African economy, according to President Kgalema Motlanthe.

"The envisaged financial investment that will flow into South Africa over the next few weeks is expected to be about R1bn," Motlanthe said.

He said the IPL was providing R10m in scholarship funds to 300 students and 32 schools across South Africa.

Motlanthe hailed the tournament organisers' decision to select South Africa as the host nation as "a tremendous vote of confidence".

Source:
IPL to pour R1bn into economy - Motlanthe
Cape Times via Independent Online
April 20, 2009

IPL to Serve as Extra Trial Run

When South Africa hosts the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, it will be one more chance to prove the country's readiness for the World Cup, according to security officials.

"We are ready for both the IPL and the Confederations Cup," said Susan Shabangu, Deputy Minister of Safety and Security.

"In fact, we see the IPL and the Confederations Cup as part of our dry run in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.

"If you talk about a dry run, that's where you want to flex your muscles and see to what extent you are ready for the big event."

Source:
Cricket test for 2010 World Cup
BBC
April 17, 2009

Tournaments Bring Sport Boom to South Africa

This article looks at the sporting boom that's coming to South Africa, including the Indian Premier League cricket tournament and the 2010 World Cup.

Next year, it will stage soccer’s World Cup. This year, it is host to a tour by the British and Irish Lions rugby team, the game’s biggest event other than a World Cup. This weekend, the Cricket World Cup qualifiers come to their conclusion, while South Africa has recently seen a head-to-head contest for the de facto world championship of the sport as its team failed to displace Australia from the top of the International Cricket Council’s rankings.

All of these are scheduled events, planned well in advance. But the bonus comes over the next few weeks as South Africa stages the 2009 edition of cricket’s Indian Premier League, which starts on Saturday in Cape Town.

The eight team, 59-match tournament has been transferred from India following the inability of the cricket authorities there to agree on a schedule with the national government, fearful of the security implications of staging a major sporting event at the same time as a general election.

Source:
India Sends Its Cricket Riches to South Africa
The New York Times
April 18, 2009

Cricket Spurs Excitement, But What About 2010?

As South Africa plays temporary host to the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, some in the country are concerned that the huge crowds and high ticket sales for the event are indicators that the World Cup's Local Organizing Committee isn't doing enough to market the 2010 tournament.

Yesterday, the streets of Cape Town were lined by cheering crowds as a string of red buses paraded the IPL’s star cricketers amid the kind of hype usually reserved for World Cup victories.

The event, shown live to the nation on TV, took place just three short weeks after South Africa agreed to host the tournament. Tickets are selling like hot cakes and tens of thousands of South Africans are expected to pack the stadiums for Saturday’s opening games.

You would think that cricket, and not football, was South Africa’s number one sport.

The LOC protests that it is indeed marketing the World Cup, but the truth is that there is no hype worth writing home about.

Source:
2010 World Cup marketing hype just isn’t cricket
The Times
April 17, 2009