The Hindu : Sport : `Pass the Flame, Unite the World'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 20, 2004

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

`Pass the Flame, Unite the World'

By Our Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI, MAY 19. On its worldwide journey through 33 cities, after being lit at the historic village of Olympia in Greece, the olive leaf-shaped Olympic torch will arrive here on June 10 from Beijing with the message `Pass the Flame, Unite the World.'

For New Delhi, the occasion is quite historic. For the first time, it has been chosen to be part of the Olympic Torch relay ahead of the quadrennial Games. The Delhi Task Force of the Olympic Torch relay has planned grand celebrations following the torch run with eminent personalities from different walks of life taking part.

The celebrations are being jointly organised by the Government of the National Capital Region of Delhi, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the global partners of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Coca Cola and Samsung.

The run will feature top shooter Anjali Bhagwat, tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, cricketers Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan and Virender Sehwag, footballer Baichung Bhutia, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh from the sports world, and Aamir Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Bipasha Basu, Rani Mukherjee, Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash from the entertainment world.

The torch, to be carried by 105 torch-bearers, will move through the 33.2-km route covering some of the most revered historical sites in the city before the grand finale at the National Stadium.

The Task Force has planned to bring alive the heritage of India's art and culture, dance and drama with performances by renowned masters of the art forms.

From Delhi, the torch will head to Cairo before reaching Athens on August 13 after a journey of 78 days.

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