The Flame of the Doha 2006 Asian Games will arrive in Guangzhou Tomorrow, Tuesday (October 24), as part of its 50,000 kilometers journey around Asia in the lead up to the 15th Asian Games to be held 1-15 December 2006 in Doha, Qatar.
The Offical Ambassador of the Doha 2006 Torch Relay, His Excellency Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani, will carry the Flame in a Lantern from the Relay plane. An official Welcome Party will include the Mayor of Guangzhou, Vice mayor of Guangzhou, Chinese Olympic Committee representative, GAGOC Secretary General and other GAGOC Officials.
The Relay itself will take place in Guangzhou on Wednesday 26 October, when 85 Torchbearers will carry the Flame over a distance of 24kms from the Guangzhou Museum to the Tianhe Sports Stadium.
At 3:00pm on Wednesday, the Governor of Guangdong Province will present the first Torch of the day to the Athens Olympic Games Gold Medalist Diver Yang Jinghui.
The relay will then pass by Guangzhou landmarks such as the Five Ram Statue, Dr Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Beijing Shopping Street, the PLA Soldier Statue, alongside the Pearl River, Haiyin Park, Zhujiang Park and into the Main Stadium at the Tianhe Sports Center.
The Flame will be carried by many great sportspeople and sporting officials, including:
- Yang Jinghui - Gold Medalist Athens 2004, Diver
- Xu Ruisheng - Vice Mayor of Guangzhou
- Gu Yaoming - Secretary-General, Chinese Olympic Committee
- Dong Zhaozhi - Fencing World Champion
- Zhouyangjing - Wheelchair Table Tennis athlete
- Wu Xiaohui - former World Butterfly Champion, now Archery team manager
- Mr. Yang Naijun, Member of Chinese Olympic Committee & Director General, Administration of Sports of Guangdong Province, will exchange Flame with TB disembarking from the Dragon Boat.
- Liu Ru - Member of Chinese Olympic Committee & former Asian Games Swimming Champion
- Ye Xiquan - Deputy Director, General Administration of Sports of Guangdong Province
- GuanWeizheng - Deputy Dirctor General, Administration of Sports of Guangzhou
- Wu Hanbin - Whellchair Fencing athlete
- Chen Wiqiang - first Olympic Gold Medalist of Guangzhou birth & former World Wight-lifting Champion/World Recor breaker
- Liu Jiangnan - Deputy Secretary General of GAGOC, Dirctor General of Guangzhou Administration of Sports
- Zhong Nanshan - Academian of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Dean of Guangzhou Medical College and Specialist in TReatment and research of SARS
Guangzhou Rollerblade Association representative Deng Jingkang will skate with the Flame along the Pearl River, accompanied by other rollerbladers.
The Doha 2006 Torch Relay will cross the Pearl River at 7: 00pm via Dragon Boat. Elite athlete and Coach of Guangzhou Marine Sports Club, Chen Zhuanhao will carry the Flame in the first of two Dragon Boats, passing the spirit of the 15th Asian Games to fomer World Butterfly Swimming Champion Wu Xiaohui in the middle of the river. The second Dragon Boat will dock at the Marine Police Dock where Wu Xiaohui will then pass the Flame to Yang Naijun, Member of Chinese Olympic Committee & Director General, Administration of Sports of Guangdong Province.
A celebration will be held at Tianhe Sports Center to welcome the Flame, where final Torchbearer Zhong Nanshan will light the cauldron. Entertainment at the celebration will include 'Taste of Qatar' - a group of almost 30 performers and craftsmen showcasing traditional Qatar dance, poetry, music, henna painting and gypsum carving. Local performers will provide music, song, dance, and a drum band.
Editor: Donald |
