The PSL will pump in over R236m to ensure the event is world class, says England' PSL chairperson Dave Richards, who is on a three-day trip to Gauteng to build bridges between his organisation and the 2010 World Cup local organising committee.

Richards told Daily Sun on Tuesday: "We were delighted when South Africa was awarded the 2010 World Cup finals. This is a fantastic country with lots of potential and we want to play a part in helping develop soccer, especially at grassroots level, through the build-up to the World Cup finals."

He added: "We supported South Africa's 2010 bid very strongly - unlike France and Spain, who backed Morocco. We believe in South Africa's ability to stage the event.

"We backed the real winners. South Africa deserve this chance to produce a brilliant tournament. We would like to be part of it, whether financially or through coaching academies in the UK." Richards said he wanted South Africa to leave a legacy after 2010 for the children of the country.

Help children get a better education

"As members of the Commonwealth we want to to play our part in ensuring that the training grounds and other facilities built for 2010 will be turned into academies for soccer and to help children get better education and health facilities."

Richards met with PSL CEO Trevor Phillips, 2010 LOC Chairperson Irvin Khoza and CEO Danny Jordaan on Tuesday to outline the Premier League's plans to assist with the 2010 showpiece.

Phillips said: "This is an ongoing relationship between the PSL and our English counterparts. We sent over our Chief Operations Officer Sizwe Nzimande recently to see how they ran their operation. The co-operation between the two countries is good."

Richards arrived with the British Minister of Sport and Tourism, Richard Caborn, who met former president Nelson Mandela on Tuesday with a view to securing Madiba's support for London's 2010 Olympic Games bid. But Caborn also stressed that the British government was fully behind South Africa and the 2010 World Cup.

He said: "We have a memorandum of understanding between our governments. We are very keen to assist South Africa with the 2010 World Cup as is the Premier League. We are keen to promote sport at grassroots level. There are lots of ways we can assist South Africa and that is why am I here to talk to your sports minister and soccer officials."

from News24.com