Grocott's Mail
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Sunday, July 13
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Grocott's Mail
    • NEWS
      • Courts & Crime
      • Features
      • Politics
      • People
      • Health & Well-being
    • SPORT
      • News
      • Results
      • Sports Diary
      • Club Contacts
      • Columns
      • Sport Galleries
      • Sport Videos
    • OPINION
      • Election Connection
      • Makana Voices
      • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
      • Newtown… Old Eyes
      • Incisive View
      • Your Say
    • CUE
      • Cue Archives
    • ARTSLIFE
      • Makana Sharp!
      • Visual Art
      • Literature
      • Food
      • Festivals
      • Community Arts
      • Going Places
    • OUR TOWN
      • What’s on
      • Spiritual
      • Emergency & Well-being
      • Covid-19
      • Safety
      • Civic
      • Municipality
      • Weather
      • Properties
        • Grahamstown Properties
      • Your Town, Our Town
    • OUTSIDE
      • Enviro News
      • Gardening
      • Farming
      • Science
      • Conservation
      • Motoring
      • Pets/Animals
    • ECONOMIX
      • Business News
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Personal Finance
    • EDUCATION
      • Education NEWS
      • Education OUR TOWN
      • Education INFO
    • EDITORIAL
    Grocott's Mail
    You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Changing the game
    Uncategorized

    Changing the game

    Busisiwe HohoBy Busisiwe HohoMay 13, 2010No Comments2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    The “intangible profits” such as national unity and pride that can be gained from hosting the World Cup must not be underestimated, despite the figures pointing to the event delivering heavy economic loss.

    The “intangible profits” such as national unity and pride that can be gained from hosting the World Cup must not be underestimated, despite the figures pointing to the event delivering heavy economic loss.

    These were the sentiments expressed by football author and associate Professor of History at Michigan State University, Peter Alegi at the seminar “African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World’s
    Game”, on Monday.

    Hosted by the Rhodes Faculty of Humanities and  the Harold Wolpe Memorial Trust East Cape Consortium, Alegi was introduced by chairperson Ashwin Desai as an analyst who has true love for the game, and sought to explain the history and possible trajectory of football on the continent.

    Alegi, author of Laduma!: Soccer, Politics and Society in South Africa, spoke to the hosting of the World Cup and the history of football in Africa, focussing on issues of race, nationhood and pan- Africanism.

    He explained that the game has changed dramatically on the continent since it was first introduced to (and in some cases imposed upon) colonial Africa, and has been used to promote social solidarity and national unity with varying results.

    Alegi also highlighted the need for South Africans to take steps in ensuring that football becomes a truly national sport. In doing this, “equitable access to the professional game” must be fought for and investments in the sport at grassroots level need to be made.

    Along with this, the “cultural dimension” of football must be developed if ideals of national unity are to take root in the country after the World Cup is over.

    Football, as Alegi pointed out, has almost limitless potential in changing the  landscape of the world around us. “It surprises us constantly,” he says.

    Previous ArticleKingswood beats Hudson Park
    Next Article Court move ‘a Grahamstown issue’
    Busisiwe Hoho

      Comments are closed.

      Code of Ethics and Conduct
      GROCOTT’S SUBSCRIPTION
      RMR
      Listen to RMR


      Humans of Makhanda

      Humans of Makhanda

      Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

      © 2025 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.