World Cup 2010 Blog

World football governing body FIFA and global news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) have partnered in a 2010 legacy initiative that will see more than 300 African sports journalist receive specialised training in the run up to the 2010 World Cup.

Reporters and photographers from all 53 countries in Africa will be invited to participate in a series of week long courses provided by the AFP Foundation. The initiative forms part of FIFA’s Win in Africa with Africa project, launched after South Africa was chosen to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup in 2004. The training will be given by AFP football correspondents or photographers, working in Arabic, English, French and Portuguese.

“I firmly believe that the 2010 FIFA World Cup represents a unique opportunity to create positive social change across Africa” said FIFA President Joseph Blatter, who signed an agreement with AFP Foundation Director Robert Holloway on Tuesday.

“Four years ago, when FIFA announced that South Africa would host the 2010 tournament, we set out to ensure that long after the FIFA World Cup final in Johannesburg, there would be a legacy left not only for African football, but also for African society in general.

We set out to achieve this with the partnership and active participation of the local population, and this programme is an example of such cooperation coming to fruition.”

Speaking on behalf of AFP, Holloway said “[Through this initiative] we aspire to give journalists skills which they can pass on to their colleagues and to future generations. Our mission is to teach those who may become tomorrow’s teachers.”

The courses will be scheduled to coincide with the qualifying rounds for the FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations in the first and second halves of the year. Between these, the AFP Foundation will also provide online instruction via its website.

Source: South Africa: The Good News