Importance Of Sports In South Africa

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There are many aspects of South Africa that unite it together, yet one of the most imperative aspects is the love for sport. There are three major sports; rugby, cricket and soccer. In an article written by an unknown South African reporter it states that South Africans are always willing to support their team and cheer them on. The major sports in which South Africa excels in is rugby and cricket. For over a century, South Africa has been involved and participated in the yearly World Cup as well and international games. Our teams have risen to the occasion and made the country proud with many wins against the world’s toughest oppositions. South Africa has many world class sporting facilities such as the FNB stadium or commonly known as Soccer…show more content…
It was one of the proudest moments South Africa has experienced as a country together as this was the first time we had been given the honour to host one of the biggest sporting events worldwide. The preparation process for the planning and activities for 2010 automatically became the focal point in all the state departments. According to the HSRC final report (02/28/2001) the South African government strongly believed that sport can be used as a tool to support and help realise social and economic development and can encounter constructive social behavior in individuals and promote social cohesion, tolerance, peace and security, as well as nation building. This article is relevant to the current research as it is confirming that the 2010 World Cup did unite South Africa’s nation. Reffering to HSRC final report (02/28/2001) it states that all studies have indicated the importance that sport has as a means to enhance nation building however the question of sustainability regarding the 2010 Soccer World Cup will be critical to the long term legacy of the World Cup in terms of Social cohesion and nation…show more content…
Gender and racial barriers. As cited in an article, a respondent (Bob, U 2010. The 2010 Fifa World Cup and Women’s Experiences in Fan Parks, Agenda in press) explains, “The other thing is that even women contributed immensely by buying T-shirts and blowing vuvuzelas. The gender perception that soccer is a men’s sport paused during the tournament” (Atteridgeville, Zulu/Xhosa, 20-45, low LSM, urban). In an article in The Guardian written by Owen Gibson (2010) he reported that the 2010 Soccer World Cup was a great success for South Africa especially taking into account that the World Cup is the most popular sporting event in the world. South Africa took enormous pride in hosting the World Cup and certainty raised to the occasion. There was continuous “vibe and energy” in the air which made people excited, intrigued and supportive of all the countries that were participating in the World

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