By Nangamso Mabindla
10 October 2007

WORLD Cup fever raised the temperature a notch in Buffalo City when the municipality and its business partners joined in the countdown to the football showpiece in 2010 by unveiling the city's countdown clock on Tuesday, 9 October.

Sponsored by First National Bank, the clock is at East London Airport. Speaking at the event, Executive Mayor Zintle Peter said the unveiling of the clock was a significant moment on the city's road to 2010.

"It's significant because although Buffalo City did not succeed in winning the first prize of hosting 2010 matches, we have still set our sights on gaining meaningful economic benefits from the road to 2010, from the event itself and beyond."

She said that the long-term economic benefits of the tournament lay in the refurbishment or development of economically productive infrastructure that would turn the country into a more attractive tourist and investment destination after 2010.

"In offering ourselves for consideration as a base camp and possible training venue for one of the teams, we have committed ourselves as the municipality to making the necessary moderate investment in our facilities that will put us in a good position to build on our profile as a preferred destination for sports tourism in South Africa."

Over the past few years the City had hosted national events in sports like hockey, swimming and yachting. Peter said this attracting of sporting events was not only because of the city's beautiful coastal environment, but also the result of the upgrading of sports facilities around Buffalo City.

In January 2008 it would host the Ironman 70.3. Such triathlons were the fastest growing sport in the world.

Speaking about its progress, Peter said that the City had set up a steering committee to look into the possibility of establishing a fan park in the area.

"[A fan park] is where soccer fans will be able to get together to watch matches on a high-resolution, large television screen. These facilities have proved very popular in other countries where soccer fans who are not able to get tickets for a match still want to get together and watch [it] at a central venue."

The countdown clock would not only remind the city's people of the imminence of the biggest sporting event ever to hit the country, but would also be a constant reminder of the need to grab the opportunity to be a part of the tournament.

"Every time we pass though this airport the countdown clock will serve to remind us that time is not going to wait for us to get ready for the big day. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to market and brand the city internationally, with the potential to generate economic growth momentum, job creation and growth."

Marketing the city was especially important during the World Cup as 500 000 visitors were expected during the event.

"Time marches on, and those who seize the day and grasp their opportunities now will be the ones who will … benefit from the future," Peter said. She also took the opportunity to name Roy Young as the new Buffalo City 2010 Co-ordinator.