By Nangamso Mabindla
22 April 2008

IN an effort to increase the hype around the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ in Buffalo City, its 2010 office has applied for R50-million from the provincial government.

The City's 2010 co-coordinator, Roy Young, said it aimed to use the money to upgrade its soccer facilities - the Absa Stadium, the Jan Smuts Stadium, Buffalo Park soccer grounds and the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane.

"We need to market 2010 in Buffalo City and also get equipment for local clubs that are poor. We might also use the money to go to the targeted countries. Remember we are a base camp for 2010 and we would like to lure teams to base themselves in Buffalo City," Young said.

Targeted nations were Germany, because of the links with Mercedes Benz; Sweden, because of the links with the Swedish city of Gävle; Italy; the Netherlands; and the United States.

"We would like to make presentations there and perhaps invite them to come here and have a look at Buffalo City as a possible base camp during the 2010 World Cup."

He said that if possible he would like to use the money to upgrade other sports facilities around the city so that big time sport would come to Buffalo City on a regular basis.

"We feel that the World Cup can be used to promote other sports as well. If possible we want to upgrade all facilities around the municipal area so that we can have bigger tournaments in the future," Young added.

Buffalo City also aimed to promote 2010 in prisons. "I will be meeting with authorities [in correctional services], so that we can discuss a 2010 festival to create hype for inmates. We can also have them exhibit art and craft that they have done. They see these things on TV and I would like them to feel part of the action."

The City also aimed to bring European teams to play football in Buffalo City. "We couldn't bring teams this year because Europeans are busy preparing for the Euro 08; and in January this year our tournament would also have coincided with the Uefa Champions League and the African Nations Cup."

Young said that the 2010 Provincial Co-ordinating Committee would be meeting provincial government authorities in Port Elizabeth later this week to sign the terms of reference on how to use the funds.