THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOKYO — FIFA president Sepp Blatter has quashed speculation about the 2010 World Cup being taken away from South Africa, while organizers continue to pour billions into sleek new stadiums, massive public transport projects and tighter security.
The ballooning cost of hosting the tournament, along with concerns over crime, security and construction deadlines, had led to speculation that it could be switched to another country. In June, Blatter admitted he had a "Plan B" to relocate the championship, but said it was only in case of a natural catastrophe.
The FIFA president was more emphatic on Monday about the event going ahead in Africa for the first time, saying: "There is no plan B, C, or D. There is only one plan."
The country’s new stadiums are only 80 per cent complete and a new international airport is half-built, with total costs soaring to at least US$3 billion — 10 times the original budget.
But Danny Jordaan, head of South Africa’s organizing committee, said the construction would be finished on schedule and there were no concerns over financing because it was secured before the current financial crisis.
"On the operational side we’re fine. The only thing we’re worried about is fans’ ability to travel," he said, referring to the effect of the global downturn on supporters’ wallets.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Club World Cup in Japan, Jordaan said analyst estimates over the length of the downturn range from "15 months to 15 years," so any affects on attendance were hard to predict.
However, South Africa is maintaining its goal of 450,000 visitors for the tournament, with a target of over 10 million visitors in total for 2010, up from the current nine million per year, he said.
.FIFA general-secretary Jerome Valcke said finances for the event were sound, with 97 per cent of contracts completed, including sponsorship and TV payments, and three-quarters of the funds already collected.
"We are very safe," he said of the financial aspects.
The physical safety of fans remains a concern for many, with South Africa reporting over 50 murders and 1,000 rapes daily.
The country’s government plans to spend over $100 million on security measures. These include increasing the number of police to 200,000 by 2010, up from 145,000 in 2004, as well as buying helicopters, crowd-control equipment and mobile command centres.
Jordaan said keeping South Africa safe for the duration of the tournament was a different matter to fighting street crime, and that the country has a track record of hosting major events without incident.
"There is a difference between event security and societal security," he said.