South Africa had a unique opportunity to market itself globally during a 35-day peak period of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, the tournament's executive director Dr Ali Bacher said on Tuesday.

Addressing the Johannesburg Press Club, he said that the World Cup would run for 42 days from the opening ceremony in Cape Town on February 5, 2003, to the final in Johannesburg on March 19. Of that, there would be 35 days of actual cricket - far longer than most international sports events - and all the matches would be televised live around the world.

"For 35 days, therefore, we have a unique opportunity to market South Africa and we dare not shirk that responsibility," Dr Bacher said.

South Africans could learn from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games where Australians - including 47 000 volunteers - had united to make a resounding success of the event.

Dr Bacher said interest in cricket among black people had risen markedly in the last three years. According to market research conducted on behalf of the Sowetan newspaper - which, through the Nail group is part of the 2003 CWC's publications consortium, cricket was now the third most popular sport behind soccer and boxing among its readers.

For many years, cricket had striven hard to make an impact in the black communities and it now seemed that those efforts had paid off. "For the first time we have the opportunity to make a massive impact on all South Africans, and particularly our black countrymen," said Dr Bacher.

"This is a World Cup for all South Africans - and it's very important that black and white participate and benefit from it. It also goes beyond mere bat and ball. At the heart of our endeavours is a commitment to black empowerment. I am confident that by the time the World Cup starts the South African government will be happy that we have indeed made a contribution to all South Africans."

Dr Bacher said that up to 50 000 tickets would be given free to bona fide cricketers in previously disadvantaged areas. "In this regard, we will also not forget those white kids who play cricket in some of the poorer communities."

© 2003 CWC