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June 1 - When the Indian Premier League sought to move its entire contingency down to South Africa over security concerns in its own country, sporting authorities didn't hesitate for a minute it their ability to rise to the occasion.
The fact that the country was going through its own national elections did nothing to hamper the enthusiasm of accepting the challenge to host such a huge international event in South Africa.
From the moment that the IPL arrived in Cape Town in April until the grand finale last Sunday, the cricket extravaganza was enough to make any South African proud.
The international media heaped its praise on the South African organizers of the competition and called it everything from an "extraordinary achievement" (Agence France Presse) to this comment that appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald: "The result was better than expected match attendances. If the ability to market a sports tournament is usually a science, then the IPL and its South African partners raised it to art."
The finale of the Indian Premier League was played out in front of 34,000 screaming fans who came to root for the Deccan Chargers versus the Royal Challengers Bangalore. In the end it was the Deccans who took home the trophy but many consider the true winner of the entire event to be South Africa for pulling off such a hassle free tournament with only 3 weeks to prepare.
Writer Peter Roebuck put these achievements in perspective. "The new South Africa has settled down more easily than even the dreamers had dared to hope," he wrote. "Simply, Lalit Modi and company were looking for a location capable of holding a multi million dollar extravaganza lasting more than a month and including most of the cricketing starts of the era. Grounds, safety, support and experience were essential. South Africa alone could provide them... It is a great achievement that had great men at its core."
For those who followed the IPL with interest and are looking for another sporting sensation on which to bet, online betting sites are offering great odds on the 2009 Lions Tour that opened up this weekend in South Africa. The rugby fest launched with a tour opener between the Lions and Royal XV where the Lions came away with an unconvincing 37-25 victory.
Bet on IPL, Lions Rugby, and a host of other sports today at Great Odds.
Learn more about the latest cricket betting sensation by reading our IPL betting page.
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