The Fifa World Cup, occasionally called the Soccer World Cup, is the largest, most attended, and most televised international association football competition contested by thirty-two of the men’s national teams of the members of FIFA (Federation International of Football Association). Every four years, this tournament of champions is played in a different country, in which its national pride is exhibited, hence, exploiting and utilizing its beneficial and profitable goods. This tournament is not just about the game of soccer, nor is it just about showing which country has the best players, athletes, or fans, but it is about demonstrating world peace through something we all love, conveying that peace through each individual national characteristics and most importantly, pride. This year, in the year of 2010, FIFA has selected our nation, South Africa, to host this year’s World Cup.
I, Lance Davids, member of the South African national soccer team, am honored in many ways to play in a World Cup hosted in my homeland. This opportunity means so much to not only the players, staff, and fans of our soccer team, but it means so much to the entire nation of South Africa. Firstly, from a member of the team’s standpoint, this tournament is completely beneficial for me in that our team will be one of the main focuses of this year’s classic, as opposed to the many other years in which we were looked over and weren’t targeted as one of the mainstream teams. You may ask, how does the stature, or status, of the national soccer team serve as a beneficial aspect for the country in whole? Well, most anyone in the nation of South Africa, soccer player or not, would argue that the stature of the team reflects greatly on our nation. In this, I mean that if our soccer team is dominate, or even just a bit successful in the tournament, the world would now be able to view South Africa as a well-rounded nation, with more to it than just a country with a government, laws, and an economy.
Another reason our nation hosting the FIFA World Cup is a golden opportunity is that by allowing the world to enter our nation, physically or publicly via television, newspaper, or radio, it will create a realization to the citizens of the world that South Africa is not only open and friendly towards global recreation, such as sports, but that we are open towards any global interaction, hence, a more friendly trading partner to the world.
As excited as I am for this tournament and towards the national benefits that come along with it, I am most proud that our nation has come this far, in that our racially segregated and controversial political state has come all the way to a nation that is hosting one of the largest global events. As I walk out on to the field for the opening ceremonies on the eleventh of June in this year of 2010, I will walk out with a sense of pride and dignity, as I join the millions of my South African brothers and sisters in one of our proudest moments.
-Lance Davids, April 24th, 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment