Doha - The Deputy Emir amd Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday officially kicked-off the Doha Asian Games Torch Relay procession at a colourful ceremony organised at the Doha Golf Club (DGC).
Watched by Ambassadors of the participating countries, a host of dignitaries, Olympic Council of Asia officials, and the foreign media besides representatives of the local press, Sheikh Tamim started the Torch Relay proceedings by pressing a button, which ignited the traditional flame on the artfully decorated stage at the DGC.
The ceremony was also graced by H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar's official Torch Relay Ambassador, and H H Sheikh Jassem bin Hamad Al Thani, the Personal Representative of the Emir.
The Doha Asian Games torch will make stopovers in 15 different countries, covering a distance of 55,000kms in 55 days. It will be the longest ever Asian Games Torch Relay procession. The torch will make stops in India, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Iran, Oman, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain.
More than 3,500 torch-bearers will carry the flame before it enters the state of the art Khalifa Stadium on December 1, 2006. "I am greatly impressed with what I saw today. I think the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (Dagoc) did a great job while managing this spectacular ceremony," Husain Al Musallam, Director General, OCA, said.
"I have no doubt that Qatar will do a great job of organising the Asian Games in two months' time. I am sure OCA's decision to bring the Games to Doha was a correct and wise decision," Al Musallam added.
More than 10,000 athletes and officials will take part in the two-week sports extravaganza. Doha is the first Middle East city to stage the Asian Games. Competitions will be held in 39 disciplines.
"The Asian Games has and will always be a platform of peace, harmony and source of unity, reconciliation and development of Asian cultures. This was reflected in our brief ceremony today," Abdulla Al Qahtani, Director General, Dagoc, said.
© The Peninsula 2006
