SOUTH AFRICA: World marathon record holder Haile Gebreselassie hands over the 2010 World Cup ball to the Nelson Mandela Foundation

Record ID: 455719

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: World marathon record holder Haile Gebreselassie hands over the 2010 World Cup ball to the Nelson Mandela Foundation
  • Date: 12th October 2011
  • Summary: CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (FILE) (REUTERS) VIEW OF TABLE MOUNTAIN WITH CLOUDS GOING PAST VARIOUS OF THE 2010 WORLD CUP STADIUM VARIOUS OF COMMUNITY FOOTBALL GAME
  • Embargoed: 27th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa, South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB3YQL3G4GHAMK757TBS74F2LJ
  • Story Text: Former multiple world marathon record holder Haile Gebreselassie handed over the 2010 World Cup final match ball to the Nelson Mandela Foundation during a ceremony on Tuesday (October 11).
    The 38-year-old Ethiopian, who is an icon for the adidas sports company, handed the ball to Achmad Dangor, chairman of the foundation to symbolise the value of the brand's fundraising efforts around the World Cup period.
    The ball is said to symbolise the legacy of the world cup in South Africa.
    Gebreselassie was also recruited as an ambassador for the the foundation and given a 46664 bracelet -- the number given to Mandela when he was incarcerated at Robben Island and globally recognised as a social rights and awareness symbol.
    The foundation is a charitable organisation named after the former South African president and global icon Nelson Mandela. It plans to put the ball on display along with other memorabilia.
    "As you see here the sport football, it brings people together and for me also Nelson Mandela also bring us together all black and white, all African, all the world. You see this is something very unique thank you for being part of this programme today," Gebreselassie told reporters during the news conference at the foundation's office in Johannesburg.
    "We are going to ask them to help us to get access to all their stars to sign it so it will probably join some of the other memorabilia, we have when the centre is fully refurbished. This will probably go on permanent display somewhere permanently," said Dangor.
    South Africa enjoyed one of its most exciting domestic seasons this year following on from last year's World Cup. Crowds flocked to iconic veues to watch games played on high quality pitches for the 2011 season, left as part of the legacy of the international event.
    Community football has also enjoyed a boost with funding and participation up for local teams and matches across the country.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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