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SOWETO, South Africa, Friday (Reuters) - The 2003 Cricket World Cup was officially launched in Soweto on Thursday with unity put forward as the main theme of the event to be hosted by South Africa.

Malcolm Speed, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) chief executive officer, was present at the unveiling of the official zebra mascot followed by a cricket clinic featuring 100 Soweto school children.

"The ICC is very excited about working with the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCB) and the government, and together we will create a spectacular sporting event that will delight cricket fans around the world," Speed said.

Ali Bacher, the executive director of the 2003 Cricket World Cup, said he hoped the tournament would be something all South Africans could regard as their own.

"We want to leave a legacy with this event," he said. "The beneficiaries of the tournament must be all disadvantaged black and white South Africans. I hope that after this Cricket World Cup, thousands of South Africans will be better off."

Percy Sonn, the president of the UCB, said Soweto was chosen as the venue of the launch because of the role the township played in the liberation of South Africa.

"In 1976, the youth of Soweto stood up and indicated their displeasure with the circumstances they were living under," said Sonn.

"The whole world took note of that and a new era has dawned. This Cricket World Cup will be a time when the whole international community will be working with us."

The 54-match tournament will run from February 9, when South Africa are due to play West Indies in Cape Town, to the March 23 final in Johannesburg.

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