Page 77 - IPL 2

If someone had told me a month ago that ,tonight, I would be standing in front of a packed house at Newlands addressing Finally I wish to thank Sundar Raman and my colleagues at IPL for their round the clock dedication and hard work. You
the Opening Ceremony of the 2009 DLF IPL, I would have thought they were mad. The last month has been one of the
most exciting and memorable of our lives. I do not want to dwell now on the reasons we are not in India this year . We
are thrilled to be here in South Africa, and I want to thank the people of South Africa for making us feel so at home.
On behalf of the BCCI, I also wish to thank our great friends at the South African Government and Cricket South Africa
who have acted so quickly and so brilliantly to make the move happen. Thanks also to the State Associations here,
whose wonderful facilities we are all enjoying so much. From the first day we arrived here I was convinced that the
move could be a success, and with each passing day that conviction has grown ever stronger.
The support of our Franchises, media partners and sponsors has of course been invaluable. Not once did any of them
waiver in their support once the move was announced. So, thank you to Sony, WSG, IPLT20.com, DLF, Fly Kingfisher, Hero
Honda, Citi and Vodafone for the faith they have all shown.
I would like to thank our partners, IMG, without whose expertise and unwavering commitment we would not be here
today. The IMG team, led by my good friend Andrew Wildblood and his indomitable colleague Peter Griffiths, has been
with us on the IPL journey from its inception and I knew when we arrived in South Africa just 25 days ago that if one
company could succeed in the unchartered logistical challenge of organising an event of this scale at less than four
weeks notice, it was IMG.
66 LOCK 'N' LOAD
have all helped us create sports marketing history by moving the DLF IPL to South Africa so successfully. I should also
mention the role of my old friend Etienne de Villiers and Francois Pienaar, the two newest members of the IPL team.
They have been invaluable in devising a marketing plan that has explained the IPL to a new audience and generated the
excitement we see here today.
Of course, we are not here in South Africa just to play cricket. We want to leave a lasting legacy in this beautiful country,
and I am thrilled that the HEAT initiative we launched yesterday has been met so warmly. We hope that the Rs9m
investment we are making towards education in South Africa will help develop the already strong links between our
two proud nations.
If today’s action is anything to go by, all cricket fans are in for a treat over the next 37 days. I hope that you all enjoy the
feast of cricket and entertainment that lies ahead. I know that by the time I address the audience at the DLF IPL Final
on May 24th, we will have made a lasting and positive impression in South Africa.
Finally I want to assure the hundreds of millions of cricket fans in India that we have not forgotten about you. We know
that you will be watching in your millions, and we look forward to bringing the DLF IPL back home next year.
Let the Games continue! LALIT MODI
18 th April, 2009, Newlands
LOCK 'N' LOAD 67