Former South African president Nelson Mandela hailed the World Cup as a chance to break down barriers as the host country kicked off the month-long party yesterday with a star-studded concert on the eve of the competition.
As international artists such as Shakira, the Black Eyed Peas and Alicia Keyes prepared to take to the stage at the historic Orlando stadium in Soweto, the township’s most famous ex-resident welcomed a new chance to combat prejudice.
“The 2010 World Cup is more than just a simple game,” Mandela, the country’s first black president, said in a message to soccer’s governing body FIFA. “It symbolizes the power of football to bring people together regardless of their language, color of their skin, their politics or religion.”
PHOTO: REUTERS
As the last of the 32 teams flew in, South Africa was caught up in a wave of euphoria not seen since the demise of the whites-only apartheid regime and Mandela’s election 16 years ago.
Flag sellers who set up stalls by traffic lights struggled to keep up with demand and even police officers wore jackets in South Africa’s six national colors.
Tens of thousands took to the streets of Johannesburg on Wednesday to cheer on the Bafana Bafana (the Boys) national side as they paraded in an open-top bus, whipping up extra fervor ahead of their debut match today against Mexico.
PHOTO: AFP
Crowds turned the streets of the Sandton business district into a cacophonous sea of yellow and green, honking ear-splitting vuvuzela horns as the team waved at them from an open-top bus and there were similar scenes throughout the city.
Schoolchildren were dismissed at midday for a special month-long World Cup holiday, bringing many youngsters onto the sidewalk with their parents for the festivities.
The front-page of the Citizen proclaimed “Bafana Mania!” while an editorial in the same paper said the outbreak of patriotism in a country which is still struggling to bridge a racial divide can only be a force for good.
PHOTO: AFP
“For one brief shining moment we can forget the problems that beset the country and hopefully build on the enthusiasm and patriotism sweeping the land,” it said.
“South Africans are late believers but once they believe, they are fanatical believers,” said Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the organizing committee, at a final pre-tournament session with reporters.
Jordaan was particularly excited by the prospect of an appearance by Mandela at today’s opener but still sounded a note of caution that the 91-year-old would be able to attend.
The concert at Orlando stadium was scheduled to begin at 8pm last night, with tens of millions of people expected to watch on television.
Also See: Countdown to kickoff
Also See: 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP: PREVIEW: ‘Les Bleus’ rattled ahead of opener
Also See: 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP: PREVIEW: Hosts, ‘El Tri’ set to go on the attack
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
‘DETERRENT’: US national security adviser-designate Mike Waltz said that he wants to speed up deliveries of weapons purchased by Taiwan to deter threats from China US president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, affirmed his commitment to peace in the Taiwan Strait during his confirmation hearing in Washington on Tuesday. Hegseth called China “the most comprehensive and serious challenge to US national security” and said that he would aim to limit Beijing’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, Voice of America reported. He would also adhere to long-standing policies to prevent miscalculations, Hegseth added. The US Senate Armed Services Committee hearing was the first for a nominee of Trump’s incoming Cabinet, and questions mostly focused on whether he was fit for the
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS