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Rediff.com  » Sports » Woods to speak at Obama's inauguration

Woods to speak at Obama's inauguration

January 17, 2009 16:03 IST
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World number one Tiger Woods has accepted an invitation to speak during U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration event in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.

"We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" is the first of several events sponsored by the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Obama's inauguration on Tuesday.

"I am honoured that I was invited to this historic event and look forward to participating in Sunday's festivities," Woods said on his website (www.tigerwoods.com) on Friday.

Arguably the greatest player of all time, Woods became the first African-American to win a major at the 1997 U.S. Masters.

The 33-year-old clinched his 14th major victory at the U.S. Open in June but has been out of action since as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery.

Woods is among several celebrities who will take part in Sunday's event at the Lincoln Memorial where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.

Others include Hollywood actors Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah and musicians Beyonce, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder.

George Stephens Jr, the event's executive producer, said earlier this week a key theme would be Obama's place in history among other presidents who have led the country in difficult times.

"It's not a celebration of victory; it's about the country coming together for the future we're going to face," Stephens added.

"There's a sense of history about it. Much of the music will be in the context of that history. The Lincoln Memorial is a kind of sacred site."

Sunday's event, which will be open to the public, will be shown on U.S. cable TV channel HBO, allowing viewers across the United States with access to cable or satellite television to view for free.

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Source: REUTERS
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