A World Cup experience at the Podium
MANILA, Philippines - Mallgoers have the rare opportunity to join in the excitement of the FIFA World Cup 2010 as the South African Embassy and The Podium mount an exhibit at the mall’s Atrium. The exhibit is ongoing until June 20.
The exhibit features the stadiums South African has built as the first African host of the event, as well as photographs of the must-see attractions in the country.
It will feature some of the 10 stadiums that will host the 64 games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Together, these stadiums will seat more than 570,000 people during the event.
Major planning has taken place to ensure that the soccer stadiums will be multi-purpose facilities that will not only host the matches for the World Cup from June 11 to July 11, but will also be suitable for entertainment and sports long after the sun has set on the year 2010.
Since 2006, there have been major investments in the building of new stadiums, and the upgrading of existing ones so that visitors will enjoy watching their favorite teams from these modern facilities.
These architectural wonders are located in some of South Africa’s most historical and scenic locations. These include the host city of Nelson Mandela Bay that has the biggest waves and highest bungee jump in the world. This beautiful city at the Eastern Cape — with its scenic sea and bush — is also the birthplace of Nelson Mandela.
Other host city stadiums include those at Bloemfontain, Johannesberg, Durban, Polokwane, Nelspruit, and Rustenberg. The stadium in Bloemfontein is the home of the official mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, a football crazy leopard called Zakumi (ZA for South Africa and kumi which means 10). Football lovers will find Johannesberg easy to reach and hard to leave once they discover its theaters, galleries, botanical, and zoological gardens, and shopping and entertainment hubs.
Durban is located in the province known as the Zulu Kingdom, and it’s known for its colorful cultures, fantastic beaches, and virtually perfect weather; while Polokwane is untamed Africa at its finest with immense landscapes, skilled Venda sculptors, a variety of indigenous cultures, and the mystical baobab tree.
Stadiums are also located in Nelspruit, home to the world’s most famous game reserve, Kruger National Park, the only green canyon on the planet; and Rustenburg, which means town of rest, and one of the oldest cities in the North West Province.
The exhibit also features breathtaking photographs of South Africa that will open your mind to the warmth of a welcome, to the beat of a unique nation, the sounds of wildlife, and the whisper of warm winds dancing off the sea.
The photographs reveal a place where the mountains rise, exquisite landscapes drift into distant horizons, and the sun melts into warm seas. A place where you can discover the beginning of time.
It’s a place that’s vibrant. Where you’ll find city lights and star-studded nights, exquisite cuisine, and world-renowned wines. It’s a place where you will hear the roar of lions and the whisper of grasslands. It’s where you will enjoy so much more, for less than you thought possible.
