ALL the hype around the World Cup has finally become reality for Knysna and George with the excitement generated by the French, Danish and Japanese teams and their entourages.

The Danes and the Japanese were the more accommodating in interacting with the public.

Both teams opened their first training sessions to fans, drawing hundreds of locals to Loerie Park in Knysna to see Denmark, and thousands to Outeniqua Park in George where the Japanese are training. Only reporters were allowed to attend part of the French team’s session at Pezula Resort on the “Field of Dreams”, purpose- built for their stay in Knysna.

Before their session, the Japanese players were introduced to George Mayor Mercia Draghoender, who welcomed the team to the town.

Access to the luxury golf resorts of Fancourt, Simola and Pezula, where the Japanese, Danish and French are camped, respectively, was tightly controlled by scores of police officers manning a series of roadblocks leading to the three premises. The team buses were also escorted by a convoy of police vehicles whenever the international football stars, worth a fortune to their clubs, had to move between training grounds and hotels.

Denmark and Japan are in the same group, while France shares one with South Africa.

Large media contingents from Japan, France and Denmark have settled in the two towns to follow the fortunes of their teams in the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Fully equipped media centres were opened for the Danish and French teams at the Knysna Premier Hotel adjoining Loerie Park on Sunday, but construction of the Japanese media centre at Outeniqua Park has been delayed by the national transport workers strike, which caused a hold-up in the delivery of materials.

George World Cup co-ordinator Kidron Kaboni said the materials were eventually released from the Cape Town docks on Saturday and construction of the media centre would continue overnight to ensure it was ready for use today.

Western Cape Tourism and Finance MEC Alan Winde said the three teams’ decision to base themselves along the Garden Route “once again illustrates that we are a first-class travel destination and have what it takes to impress the world’s best”.

“The impact that the teams’ presence will have on the Western Cape lies not only in the boost in visitor numbers and expenditure, but also in the fact that about 500 media as well as influential and high-profile football officials will be spending time in the area, experience its top-quality tourism offering and tell the world about it afterwards,” Winde said.