Following its 50,000km, 50 day, 14 country and region tour of
Asia, the 15th Asian Games Flame comes home to Qatar on Saturday 25
November. Thousands will be there to greet the Torch Relay as it
reaches home soil.
So far the Flame, on the longest-ever Asian Games Torch Relay,
has passed through the hands of 3,000 Doha 2006 Torchbearers, but a
further 1,000 hands will hold the Doha 2006 Torch as it covers
565km on home soil.
At a press conference today, 23 November, details of the Torch
Relay in Qatar were announced.
A traditional Dhow, Al Shaqab, will bring the Flame by sea from
Manama, capital city of Bahrain, arriving at Qatar's Al Shamal port
at 14:30.
HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the 15th Asian Games Torch
Relay Ambassador, will bring the Torch ashore and, after being
given a traditional welcome by a Qatari woman, will be showered
with flower petals thrown by the 5,000 schoolchildren who will line
the route to the celebration stage.
Abdulla Aziz Nohanned, Qatar's renowned radio presenter, will
welcome HE Sheikh Joaan to the stage and, as the Cauldron is lit,
thousands of balloons will be released into the air.
A performance of the Ardha traditional dance by over 100 men
flourishing their ceremonial swords and a speech by the Secretary
General of the Qatari National Olympic Committee, HE Sheikh Saoud
Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, will conclude the festivities for the
Relay to start once more.
At 15:15 the Torch will tour Al Shamal port to starting its 13km
route which will take in Umm Tais National Park before returning to
Al Shamal port where the evening's celebrations will commence at
18:00.
Over the next five days the Torch Relay will tour Qatar before
the pinnacle of its travels, the arrival at Khalifa Stadium to
light the 15th Asian Games Cauldron to signify the beginning of the
Games.
It is reported that Nasser Al Attiya, Qatar's multi-talented
competitor – champion skeet shooter and recent World Championship
rally driver – will carry the Torch to Khalifa Stadium on 1
December.
(dohaasiangames.org November 23, 2006)