Beijing Gets Ready for 2010 World Cup!

With the final countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup upon us, football fans all over the world are getting ready for the first match this Friday, June 11, between Mexico and World Cup host South Africa.

In Beijing, the excitement has been simmering as well, and die-hard fanatics as well as those with a new-found interest are busy figuring out how and where to watch.

Andrea Hunt has more:

In Beijing's 24-hour McDonalds, Irish pubs, sports bars and beer gardens, at 10 p.m. Friday, people will be glued to the TVs for the kickoff that marks the start of the 2010 World Cup.

Every country has its own way of getting ready for the festivities. In some countries, it's virtually impossible to order takeout meals - or maybe even an ambulance - during the critical moments of the football games.

"Sports Beijing" football coach Jonathan Stewart from England is now gearing up to watch his sixth World Cup ever and his first in China.

Stewart describes the atmosphere in Britain during the event.

"Football's a way of life for English people, and there's always a lot of hype come the World Cup, even though we've not won it since 1966, the English have a tradition of thinking it will always be their year. The papers, the tabloids all get involved, and it kind of unites the country for the three to four weeks of the World Cup, you can't avoid it no matter where you are."

Brazilian Bruno Affonso is an engineer at 'Lev' e-bike Company. At home, he says, the whole country shuts down during the World Cup.

"Since in Brazil, everything goes around soccer, and Brazil most of the jobs in every company have a TV, so when they're showing the Brazilian games, actually no one is actually working. Everyone is just paying attention to the TV. After that, people just go out to the streets or people get together with friends to watch it on big screens in the streets. For business it's not really good when the World Cup starts because the whole country stops to watch it."

In South Africa this year, even people who aren't normally football fans are getting excited, says financial advisor Marlon Borez. He says, like many at home, he focuses more on cricket and rugby.

However, this June, Borez wishes he could be in South Africa, and admits he is just a tad jealous of his friends who already have tickets to the opening game in Johannesburg.
He is hopeful, though, that the games will give positive exposure to the country even though he can't be there.

"I think South Africa is the perfect place to have it within the whole of Africa. I talked to both of my parents yesterday, they said the whole country is absolutely World Cup mad, they said Friday, all businesses and schools, they can wear World Cup t-shirts. The country is really I should say, 'soccer mad' at the moment."

DMG Entertainment strategy manager Julius Zhu is from China and saw the changes that the 2008 Olympics brought to his country. He says the sporting event should be good for South Africa's image.

"South Africa is not that peaceful, I heard from the media. I think after World Cup I think they will change a little bit their image in the world because I think people will like South Africa more and see the love they treat the football and the passion they treat the people coming there. In fact, I think I like that place. I know that's a beautiful place, I think that South Africa, also like China, needs some chance to show it."

In Beijing, it's not just Mexicans and South Africans who are getting revved up for Friday's opener, but Chinese and foreigners from all over.

Mexican Ana Fernanda Hierro works at sustainable development company "51give." While football is certainly not as popular here as in her home country, Hierro says she is thrilled that Mexico is playing at the opening match.

In Mexico, avoiding the World Cup is impossible, she says, because everyone takes part in barbeques and parties during that time. Some fans even skip work or ditch school in order to watch their favorite games.

Others in Beijing have high hopes for South Africa.

Matt Irwin from Belfast, is a Key Account Manager for Sinotrans Group in Beijing. He feels the opening game promises to be exciting and hopes South Africa claims the opening victory.

"Obviously, the World Cup is in South Africa so I think South Africa will really try to put on a great performance because the atmosphere and the buzz will get all the players really hyped up. But it'll probably end up being a draw. I would like South Africa to beat Mexico. I like Mexico, but I'd like South Africa to win since it is their country."

Mr. Stewart agrees. Using the 2002 World Cup held in Korea and Japan as the best example, he notes that historically, it's beneficial for the World Cup as a whole if the host team does well because it directly affects the atmosphere in the country.

He cautions that it can deflate a World Cup if the host team goes out in the group stages and hopes that South Africa does well even if they don't end up making it to the finals.

Whoever wins, it's been four years since the last World Cup; the world is ready, and so is Beijing.

Here's to South Africa World Cup 2010!

For CRI, I'm Andrea Hunt