17 February 2011
South Africans living in rural areas will also get in on the Cricket World Cup action, with matches set to be broadcast at Village Viewing Areas that were established for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
The equipment installed in Village Viewing Areas across South Africa – including giant-screen television sets, DSTV satellite receivers and other equipment – was donated to the communities after the World Cup.
The Department of Rural Development and Land Reform said this week that it would be broadcasting Cricket World Cup matches as part of its efforts to ensure continued optimum use of the facilities – as well as to support the Proteas and the Magnificent Fridays campaign.
Magnificent Fridays is a new campaign initiated by the government to get South Africans behind the cricket, netball and rugby national teams – all of which will do battle in their respective world cups in 2011.
The campaign is built on the concept of Football Fridays, a highly successful drive led by the International Marketing Council of South Africa, that got South Africans rallying behind Bafana Bafana, the national football team, and the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Citizens are urged to wear official replica clothing of any of the national teams, but especially of the Springbok rugby team, the Proteas cricket squad and the netball team, also nicknamed the Proteas.
The Cricket World Cup, taking place in Mumbai, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, kicks off on Saturday, with the Proteas playing their first match against the West Indies on 24 February.
“Magnificent Fridays is about showing support for all our national teams,” Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula said at the Johannesburg launch of the initiative two weeks ago. “The campaign will continue throughout the year.”
Mpumalanga MEC for Culture, Sport and Recreation Sibongile Manana will officially launch the campaign in Mpumalanga this Friday.
Source: BuaNews
