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JOHANNESBURG, Wednesday (Reuters) - Keen to hook potential supporters for the World Cup, the contest's organisers kicked off a spectacular cricket awareness tour on Wednesday, featuring local stars and the biggest mobile stage in Africa.

The "Time to Dazzle" tour started in the town of Nelspruit to the east of Johannesburg as the "Dazzlemobile", a huge motorised stage loaded with South African musicians, sportsmen and comedians, set off on a nine-city tour charged with rousing support for the four-yearly event.

Ali Bacher, the competition's executive director, said the tour would try to garner grass roots support. "It is important to take our World Cup to the people", he said.

The opening event featured South African musician PJ Powers, African pop star Kabelo, and comedian Shabba. Boxing hero Baby Jake Matlala, a World Cup cricket ambassador, also planned to take to the stage.

"Sport is the only thing to unify our people, we all get together when we watch sport it doesn't matter if you are black white or coloured", Matlala told Reuters.

The "Dazzlemobile", named after the official World Cup mascot "Dazzler" and resplendent in the competition's official colours, is part of an initiative by the ICC to unite South Africans around the competition, for which many have been unable to get tickets.

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