SOUTH AFRICA: Volunteers master diski dance on first day of training for the FIFA World Cup

Record ID: 455009

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Volunteers master diski dance on first day of training for the FIFA World Cup
  • Date: 14th March 2010
  • Summary: (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) MORE OF VOLUNTEERS LEARNING THE DISKI DANCE
  • Embargoed: 29th March 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAA3IDUTMKVCOXPZCRIOV5QSK3J
  • Story Text: The training of about 18,000 volunteers for the World Cup began in Johannesburg, South Africa on Friday (March 12).
    As well as being briefed in regular logistical tasks, the volunteers will all be taught the World Cup diski dance which is currently being featured in World Cup promotional videos.
    The volunteers will, over the coming month, undergo three days of training in each host city. Over 67,999 applications from over 170 countries were received by the World Cup Organising Committee with the numbers being trimmed down after interviews and other screening processes.
    "The volunteers are some of the backbones of delivering the World Cup. Their job is to help people, particularly those who are customercentric. We chose from the people who know how to deal with people and we actually make them volunteers. They are not actually being paid, they doing it for free. Their job is to make sure that they go around at the stadiums, at the hotels, at the team base camps, at the training grounds, at transport facilities to help show people around," said Rich Mkhondo, the Local Organising Committee's Chief Communications Officer.
    For some of those who attended the training session in Johannesburg, a successful World Cup will be a chance to silence critics who cast doubt on South Africa's ability to host the tournament.
    "Our government has worked hard. We are here, the volunteers to prove and help them and we thinking the World Cup is going to be a great surprise, we are just going to prove them wrong," said Rachel Maribati, a South African volunteer.
    International volunteers will go through an online training process. Over 450,000 visitors are expected in South Africa during the month long tournament.
    "I wanted to be volunteer because it's an African matter, not only for South Africa but it's an African matter so that's why I wanted to be a volunteer and to support that big event coming to Africa," added Bethy Bolowa, a volunteer from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
    Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans and tourists are expected in South Africa for the soccer tournament which runs from June 11 to July 11.
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