Balindlela at the Premier's Golf Day
3 November 2006
Programme Director
Honoured guests
Ladies and gentlemen
The Premier's Golf Day is a build up to the South African Airways (SAA) Open
to be held in Port Elizabeth on the 14 to the 17 of December 2006. We know that
this event has the distinction of being the second oldest open after the
British Open. The Eastern Cape Provincial Government has committed a sum of R2
million to make this a legendary event in the hasty of our Province.
The Eastern Cape is one of the cultural cornerstones of this country and it
is important that its people be given the opportunity to witness the great
talents of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, whom we have contracted to this event
for three years. It has been proved that sporting and cultural events tourism
has had a huge impact on tourism growth from overseas arrivals. It was in the
years of the Rugby World Cup in 1995, the World Summit on Sustainable
Development in 2002 and the Cricket World Cup in 2003 that South Africa
experienced its greatest growth in tourist numbers.
The Championship is also considered to be returning to its roots, with it
first being played in Port Elizabeth in 1893. It was from these beginnings that
it grew into the premier event it is today, co-sanctioned by both the European
Tour and Sunshine Tour and featuring the cream of the world's players. It is
the kind of publicity our province needs as we build up to 2010 soccer
spectacular event. We have no doubt that the SAA Open will draw a huge amount
of coverage and profile the Eastern Cape as a golfing province.
This will significantly add momentum to all our efforts to develop sports
and allow people of different talents to develop and show their talents. It is
important that the transfer of golf skills through development programmes to
our youngsters be done so that in the near future we can see our own products
coming up to represent our province when the old Gary Players and Ernie Elses
retire.
I want to thank the sponsors and organisers for the preparation of this
event and of more work to come until the whole world conglomerates in this
province for the South African Airways world event.
I thank you.
Issued by: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
3 November 2006
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
