Programme Director
The Principals of World Golf Championship
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
All protocol observed
On behalf of the people of South Africa and the government of KwaZulu-Natal we wish to express our sincere gratitude at the privilege and the honour that has been bestowed to our province to host the next year's edition of the World Golf Championship, which is one of the premier events on the annual golfing calendar.
In this regard, we wish to thank all the patrons and principals of the World Golf Championship and all the participating golfers from around the world for entrusting our country and our province in particular with this treasured event, an occasion that is created to unite amateur golfers from around the globe with a common goal of developing the sport and of forging global ties and helping those who are less fortunate.
We wish to assure all the stakeholders who have taken this wise decision that they have done the right thing because our province does not only have the best facilities for golf, but it is a province that is renowned all over the world for being the province that is inhabited by the people with a big heart.
As such, as the government of KwaZulu-Natal, we are here today to convey one message: that our province is ready to host the 2011 World Golfers Championship and that we will ensure that the 2011 edition of the World Golfers Championship will be one of the best in the history of this tournament.
As many of you are aware, our country and our province in particular, is still basking in the afterglow of hosting one of the most successful FIFA World Cup in the history of this footballing extravaganza.
Even the President of FIFA, President Sepp Blatter conceided that South Africa had not only pushed the boundary of excellence but has created new standards which will be difficult to emulate.
For the duration of this sporting spectacle South Africa, the land of our iconic statement, Nelson Mandela was at the centre of the world's attention. But more importantly the world all got a rare opportunity to bask in the warmth and hospitality of our people and to experience the spirit of ubuntu for which our country and our people are renowned.
Programme Director, the success of the World Cup did not only infuse our people with an imitable sense of accomplishment and pride, but it communicated an unequivocal message that in the table of nations, South Africa had a big role to play to use sport as a leverage to forge global partnership as part of efforts of creating a world in which all us can have a shared destiny.
We are therefore doubly elated that, hardly a year after South Africa rolled the red carpet to the world by hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, we have now been given the privilege to host the 2010 World Golfers Championship.
As we said earlier, our country has become a golfing destination of choice because of its world class golfing facilities and its wonderful weather conditions. As we speak, our country has more than 450 golf courses and over 150 000 registered golfers.
Our country has also produced some of the prolific golf champion in the world including, to mention just a few, Gary Player, who is a living legend of the sport, Rietief Goosen and Ernie Elsie. Our province of KwaZulu-Natal, which boasts a sub tropical climate is one of South Africa's prime golfing destinations and attracts between 15 percent and 20 percent golf tourists per annum.
As a tourist destination, our province boasts some of the most breath taking natural treasures of earth. Not only do we have pristine beaches which are warm throughout the year, but we also have the Big Five, two of the World Heritage Sites, the majestic Drankensberg Mountains and the Isimangaliso Wetlands Park. But more importantly we are a province with a people with a big heart, the Zulu people, who are renowned for their gallant exploits after they defeated the mighty British Military in 1879.
This, Programme Director, shows that you could not have asked for a better place to host the 2011 World Golfers Championship. The World Cup has provided our country with a stimulus to attract investment in the sporting economic field. We therefore want to urge all the golfers who are here today to come to our country not only to experience our people's unique and cosmopolitan cultures but also to exploit a number of investment opportunities.
We believe that by investing in our country you will not only contribute towards our country's economic well-bing but you will be adding towards efforts to broaden the appeal of the sport globally.
In conclusion, we would like to thank the government of Thailand for opening their hearts out to the world by hosting such a successful event. We pledge that we will, taking our cue from our Thailand brothers and sisters, continue to raise the bar and host an equally memorable championship next year.
We look forward to welcoming all of you to our country and in particular to the province of KwaZulu-Natal. We have no doubt that during your stay you will find time not only to experience the warmth and the hospitality of our people but also to savour the beauty of some of the natural treasures that make our province one of the most sought after holiday destinations in the world.
I thank you.
