Thousands of people rocked Orlando Stadium in South Africa’s biggest township on Thursday, singing in harmony at the first World Cup concert on the eve of the world’s most watched sporting event.
Concert-goers clapped and cheered amidst almost freezing temperatures as players, local and international singing stars took to the stage, the first time such a music event has been held as part of the World Cup opening.
“The whole world has come to Soweto ... and football was one of the things that helped people realize that we are connected — that wonderful game that brought a country together,” will.i.am of the US group Black Eyed Peas said before the band opened the colorful showcase of African music in collaboration with international artists. “This is humanity coming together.”
The concert was broadcast live around the world and stars included Alicia Keys, Angelique Kidjo and Vusi Mahlasela. Colombian pop star Shakira sang the official World Cup anthem Waka Waka (This time for Africa) with South African group Freshly Ground.
Children and the elderly alike waved South African flags and sang Shosholoza, the popular local tune sung mostly at soccer matches.
The scene in the 30,000 capacity stadium was reminiscent of 1995, when South Africa, recently free from decades of Apartheid rule, won the rugby World Cup. The tournament was widely seen as uniting a country long divided along racial lines.
“This is history in the making. Only 15 years ago, we were unsure of our identity, but here we stand as one nation,” said 44-year-old Vanitha Govender, who works for Standard Bank.
Shimmy Jiyane, leader of the Soweto Gospel Choir who performed with US singer John Legend said the world was seeing the “rainbow nation.”
“The struggle started here in Soweto ... and Soweto now we call it Hollywood — we got malls, we got beautiful soccer fields, we got trains — you aren’t scared of going anywhere because it’s beautiful to be here,” he said.
South African President Jacob Zuma and FIFA president Sepp Blatter also joined the party, calling for unity for the duration of the World Cup.
Proceeds from the concert will go to build 20 centers across Africa offering healthcare, education and soccer training for disadvantaged communities, FIFA’s official social campaign for the World Cup.
The crowd chanted “Tutu, Tutu” as the tiny figure of Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu jigged out on to the stage sporting a green and yellow striped hat and scarf.
“It’s like I’m dreaming man — wake me up,” he told the crowd. “Thank you for helping this ugly worm, which we were, to become a beautiful, beautiful butterfly.”
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
The San Francisco Giants signed 18-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Yang Nien-hsi (陽念希) to a contract worth a total of US$500,000 (NT $16.39 million). At a press event in Taipei on Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Giants’ Pacific Rim Area scout Evan Hsueh (薛奕煌) presented Yang with a Giants jersey to celebrate the signing. The deal consisted of a contract worth US$450,000 plus a US$50,000 scholarship bonus. Yang, who stands at 188 centimeters tall and weighs 85 kilograms, is of Indigenous Amis descent. With his fastest pitch clocking in at 150 kilometers per hour, Yang had been on Hsueh’s radar since playing in the HuaNan Cup
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
RSS