SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Three World Cup host cities will be allowed to use proposed name changes for the 2010 finals, say organisers

Record ID: 452661

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Three World Cup host cities will be allowed to use proposed name changes for the 2010 finals, say organisers
  • Date: 9th August 2007
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG; SOUTH AFRICA (AUGUST 07, 2007) (REUTERS) OFFICIALS AND FIFA DELEGATES AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA GENERAL SECRETARY, JEROME VALCKE,SAYING: "It shows me that things are moving well, that we are working on all the stadiums in the right way, we have a good spirit between the teams, and between the people working here, for FIFA and LOC and also between Zurich and Johannesburg" MEDIA SOUNDBITE) (English) FIFA GENERAL SECRETARY, JEROME VALCKE,SAYING: "The commitment we are taking FIFA, is that all African countries in Africa will have access to all games of the next FIFA world Cup and the FIFA Confederation's Cup, we are working with associations, we are working with different tv broadcasters, but there is not a single country in Africa, that will not have access on the free to air television to the World Cup games during the World Cup 2010, so that's a commitment from FIFA to Africa, and we are not just organising the World Cup in South Africa , let's say i have no one from Africa watching the World Cup, so it's the World Cup in South Africa with access for all African to the World Cup game on tv." FIFA SOCCER BALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) TELKOM CEO, REUBEN SEPTEMBER, SAYING: "In terms of capability of course we are looking at huge upscale levels of reliability, technology o such as automatic switch, transport network which is being deployed to deliver a realibility levels that not only meet world class level, but Jerome i would indicate unprecesended levels for soccer World Cup as well, in terms of reliability" MEDIA LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP ORGANISING COMMITTEE, DR IRVIN KHOZA, SAYING: "Well, I don't think that's a huge problem, if ever we manage you know to deal with Iran and America, so dealing with Iraq, won't be that much of a problem, besides i mean you know FIFA you know, football is all about family building spirit of comeradie and South Africa has got a track record of securing events and people,and we don't anticipate any problems" OFFICIALS POSING WITH THE FIFA AND TELKOM AGREEMENT 11.INVITED GUESTS WATCHING
  • Embargoed: 24th August 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1I5L8U3KDJS8KQ2C961QPXZIL
  • Story Text: Three World Cup host cities will be allowed to use proposed name changes on official tournament documents and tickets for the 2010 finals, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) said on Tuesday.
    Pretoria will now be known as Tshwane, the name of the municipal district containing South Africa's capital, Bloemfontein becomes Manguang and Port Elizabeth will be called Nelson Mandela Bay.
    The LOC said it had agreed with the world governing body FIFA that the new names would be used within South Africa. Outside the country, a combination of both the old and new names will be used to avoid confusion.
    Tuesday's announcement comes days after the opposition parties said they would be seeking legal action to stop the proposed changes In March, South Africa's top appeals court ordered the government to resume using the old name for one of the country's towns in a setback for efforts to expunge apartheid-era names.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register