Meet the people who're building the World Cup

Whatever Benjamin Bismillah Ndaka does in his life, he always does it in the name of God.

After all, the 78-year-old's name "Bismillah" means, in the Muslim faith which he follows, doing things 'in the name of Allah (God)'.

"I say Bismillah only when I do good things," says the Soweto pensioner.

The next good thing Ndaka intends doing is being a volunteer at the International Cricket Council's 2003 Cricket World Cup.

The oldest of more than 3 300 volunteers, Ndaka's job will be to usher spectators into various World Cup venues.

"My wife Lindi was a volunteer at the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Sandton and I admired the work of the volunteers. My wife was exposed to so many people at the Summit and made so many new friends, from as far afield as Norway, Holland and Morocco. I decided then and there that I too wanted to become a volunteer," said the genial pensioner.

At his age he would be forgiven for putting his grandchildren on his lap and watching the action on television, but not so, he will be right there doing his bit to ensure things go smoothly.

"So as long as my bones are still together and I am able to manage it, I will offer my services to the Cricket World Cup. I think the tournament will do a lot of good for us as a country and the positives will far outweigh the negatives. Personally it will expose me to many people from around the world," said Ndaka.

While the showpiece is obviously all about cricket, it's also about welcoming thousands of visitors to the country and showcasing its beauty and that of its people.

Ndaka, a seasoned actor who has appeared in popular movies like Mr Bones and Tarzan, can hardly be a better local ambassador for the event.

Aside from Ndaka's brand of charm, 41 African sporting legends from South Africa, Kenya and Namibia will also be promoting the event around the world.

Among those are Kenyan super athlete Kip Keino, Namibia's Frankie Fredericks, exiled English cricketer Basil D'Oliveira and South African luminaries like Gary Player, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Francois Pienaar, Penny Heyns, Graeme Pollock, Lucas Radebe and former Formula One world champion Jody Scheckter.

"I phoned every one of those 41 and every one said they would be proud to be associated with the event and not one of them asked for a cent," said ICC 2003 WC executive director Ali Bacher.

Post Madiba-magic era, South Africa has aggressively marketed itself as a world force and hosted major events.

The Cricket World Cup is arguably the biggest yet, and it's now just days away.

Yet Bacher, the man who has been charged with putting the whole spectacle together, is only now "starting to get enthusiastic about it".

That's understandable, as before thoughts can turn to the excitement and entertainment of the showpiece itself, there's been hard work to be done.

Stadia around the country are having the finishing touches applied, an electronic scoreboard installed here and a big screen there, but things are on track for the event which starts with a spectacular opening ceremony at Newlands on February 8.

"This event is huge, the biggest the country has ever seen. We will be at the centre stage of the world. More than 2 000 journalists will be in the country to cover the event and we can really send out a positive signal to the world about this country," said Bacher.

More than 4 000 people will be involved in staging the opening ceremony, with the man in charge of choreography, Doug Jack, having worked on productions like the Barcelona and Sydney Olympics, the Salt Lake City Winter Games and the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

South Africans love to party and Newlands on the night of February 8 should play host to one of the biggest parties of them all.

A "carnival atmosphere" has been guaranteed and in the build-up to the event roadshows and music festivals will drum up enthusiasm for the tournament.

For Bacher and more than 40 designated World Cup office staffers it's been the project of a lifetime.

"It's been a fantastic experience and we've received outstanding support from so many quarters. I start making calls at 6am to Australia and to the subcontinent and at 6.30 in South Africa quite a few people get woken up. It's been hard work, but I love it and we are all passionate about putting on a great event," said Bacher, adding, "We've got to stay focused, with something of this magnitude you dare not take your eye of the ball. We're not there yet, but its coming together nicely".

Millions of South Africans, and billions around the world, will be hoping it does.