BMX World Championships Media Release

 No: bmx1012

14 June 2010

Organisers allay security fears for UCI BMX World Champs

Pietermaritzburg – Organisers of the upcoming UCI BMX World Championships in South Africa have allayed fears about safety and security of the participants, citing the success of Soccer World Cup as evidence to back up their point.

Hundreds of thousands of soccer fans have flocked to South Africa for the FIFA  2010 Soccer World Cup during the past week, with hardly any criminal incidents being reported to the police in that period.

In anticipation of the influx of sporting tourists, security measures in all major centres and at transport hubs such as airports have been substantially reinforced, with a significantly heightened security presence visible across the country.

"There is absolutely no reason for any BMX rider to be concerned about their safety travelling to South Africa for the Worlds," said LOC head Alec Lenferna. "The event is being held in one of the safest areas of the country, and there are more than adequate security measures at the venue and in the city, where over 80% of the riders will be staying."

"Pietermaritzburg was recently voted the second best city in the country to live in in a major online poll, taking factors such as standards of living, safety and security," he added.

"Of course there will be individual incidents where careless tourists become victims of crime, but to be honest that is a blunt reality that could happen anywhere in the world," Lenferna added.

The event organisers were responding to blog comments casting the 2010 UCI World Championships in South Africa in a negative light based on isolated crime reports from World Cup, encouraging riders not to attend the event.

"It's ironic that the one incident that has been the focus of much of the blog activity has not been completely reported," Lenferna added, referring to the robbery of three journalists at a Magaliesberg guesthouse last week.

"It took police less than 24 hours to arrest the scoundrels," said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa. "It took the justice department no more than 48 hours to sentence them," he added. Two of the three men received fifteen year jail terms, and the thirds, convicted of receiving stolen property was sentenced to four years in jail.

"Security concerns should be put to bed right now," said Ian Wilson co-builder of Giba Gorge, a 62000 rides-a-year MTB course in peri-urban Durban and builder of eNanda Adventures MTB course in African rural area between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

"This area has to be thought of as offering some of the safest biking in the world, from a security point of view. Just turn on your TV and watch the World Cup football. Not an iota of football violence and hardly a blink of petty crime!", he adds.

The UCI BMX World Championships takes place at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg from 29 July to 1 August. More information can be found at www.bmxworldchampspmb.co.za

ENDS

"There is absolutely no reason for any BMX rider to be concerned about their safety travelling to South Africa for the Worlds," said LOC head Alec Lenferna.

Dave Macleod/
Gameplan Media