FIFA to inspect Zimbabwe's host capacity ahead of 2010 WC

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HARARE, Sept 4 (AFP): A delegation of FIFA officials will arrive Monday to asses the country's capacity to host visitors for the 2010 World Cup to be hosted in South Africa.
"The FIFA officials will assess the capacity of Zimbabwe to host visitors for 2010," Karikoga Kaseke, chief executive officer of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), said in a statement.
"They have specifically requested to see three- to five-star hotels in Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls as well as other service facilities in the tourism sector."
Zimbabwe, which plans to invest 20 million US dollars on hotels and stadiums, is one of the host countries neighbours expecting to rake in the windfall of the month-long event by hosting training camps, accommodation and fan parks for teams and visitors during the tournament.
A report drawn up by the sports and environment ministries, which has been adopted by President Robert Mugabe's cabinet, called for a comprehensive refurbishment programme of hotels which have seen a marked drop in foreign visitors since the implosion of the economy. A new stadium is also in the pipeline.
The FIFA delegation will also be looking at issues such as ports of entry, customs and immigration, transport, as well as touring possibilities and activities, Kaseke added.
"We will not leave anything to chance. We have to make sure that the industry standards are brought up to expectations of FIFA," he said.
"We will not hesitate to exclude any facility, and I mean any facility that does not meet the required standards. There is no compromise in this position and they will be no sacred cows."