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Johannesburg - South Africa was given a R685 million bonus by soccer's world controlling body FIFA on Monday for hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
"We trusted South Africa and that trust was well-founded," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in launching the 2010 FIFA Legacy Trust at Soccer City, in Johannesburg.
"FIFA are not a circus where we pitch our tent and remove them when the event is over," he said.
"FIFA will leave a lasting legacy for the youth of South Africa thanks to this successful World Cup."
Blatter said the 2010 Legacy Trust would benefit the development and the education of South African children.
"Education and development plus health care will be in South Africa thanks to the World Cup and this Trust," he said.
He said R137 million of the bonus had already been used to build SAFA House, next to the FNB Stadium south of Johannesburg, before the World Cup, which kicked off in June.
Accepting the remainder of the bonus, president Jacob Zuma said the tournament had reaffirmed a common South African and African identity, had boosted the country's economy, and that South Africans could look back on it with pride.
"We wanted a World Cup that would contribute to social cohesion and national pride, that would enhance African solidarity and improve the country’s global reputation. Our expectations were exceeded," he said.
The World Cup had also underlined the need for investment in football development to build world class football teams.
"To achieve this, we want to see greater emphasis on the revival of school sports from next year," said Zuma.
"Also important is, we have committed ourselves to ensuring the provision of sports facilities in the poorer communities as part of rural development focus."
Zuma said that, being a developing country, South Africa had wanted the tournament to be about more than just football.
"We wanted Africa’s first World Cup to be a continental showpiece that was owned by all Africans, and we want it to leave a developmental legacy."
Now that South Africa had achieved its goal of hosting the tournament, there remained the difficult, but important task of ensuring a lasting legacy in soccer and social development.
Blatter, who stuck his neck out to bring the World Cup to Africa for the first time in FIFA’s history, described the bonus as a reward to South Africa for being a great host.
"We have always said that the first FIFA World Cup on African soil should leave a lasting sports and social legacy once the tournament is over," he said.
"I am proud, but more happy than proud after this first ever World Cup in South Africa. I had confidence and now South Africa has shown the world they were up to hosting the World Cup."
He said South Africa had led the way in breaking new ground for future World Cups.
"We are taking the World Cup to Russia in 2018 and in 2022 to Qatar. Neither country have hosted a World Cup event.
"South Africa’s showed the way to go. It was not easy bringing the World Cup here, but we succeeded and look forward to breaking new ground in Russia and Qatar."
"We trusted South Africa and that trust was well-founded," FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in launching the 2010 FIFA Legacy Trust at Soccer City, in Johannesburg.
"FIFA are not a circus where we pitch our tent and remove them when the event is over," he said.
"FIFA will leave a lasting legacy for the youth of South Africa thanks to this successful World Cup."
Blatter said the 2010 Legacy Trust would benefit the development and the education of South African children.
"Education and development plus health care will be in South Africa thanks to the World Cup and this Trust," he said.
He said R137 million of the bonus had already been used to build SAFA House, next to the FNB Stadium south of Johannesburg, before the World Cup, which kicked off in June.
Accepting the remainder of the bonus, president Jacob Zuma said the tournament had reaffirmed a common South African and African identity, had boosted the country's economy, and that South Africans could look back on it with pride.
"We wanted a World Cup that would contribute to social cohesion and national pride, that would enhance African solidarity and improve the country’s global reputation. Our expectations were exceeded," he said.
The World Cup had also underlined the need for investment in football development to build world class football teams.
"To achieve this, we want to see greater emphasis on the revival of school sports from next year," said Zuma.
"Also important is, we have committed ourselves to ensuring the provision of sports facilities in the poorer communities as part of rural development focus."
Zuma said that, being a developing country, South Africa had wanted the tournament to be about more than just football.
"We wanted Africa’s first World Cup to be a continental showpiece that was owned by all Africans, and we want it to leave a developmental legacy."
Now that South Africa had achieved its goal of hosting the tournament, there remained the difficult, but important task of ensuring a lasting legacy in soccer and social development.
Blatter, who stuck his neck out to bring the World Cup to Africa for the first time in FIFA’s history, described the bonus as a reward to South Africa for being a great host.
"We have always said that the first FIFA World Cup on African soil should leave a lasting sports and social legacy once the tournament is over," he said.
"I am proud, but more happy than proud after this first ever World Cup in South Africa. I had confidence and now South Africa has shown the world they were up to hosting the World Cup."
He said South Africa had led the way in breaking new ground for future World Cups.
"We are taking the World Cup to Russia in 2018 and in 2022 to Qatar. Neither country have hosted a World Cup event.
"South Africa’s showed the way to go. It was not easy bringing the World Cup here, but we succeeded and look forward to breaking new ground in Russia and Qatar."
