Seventy torchbearers are set to carry the Beijing Olympic flame today for the
11th leg of its global journey.
The 70 torchbearers will cover a distance of just 2.5 kilometers from
Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate starting from the 4 pm local time.
The torchbearers include sportspersons, Bollywood stars and politicians,
according to Suresh Kalmadi, the president of Indian Olympic Committee.
The country's top current and former athletes, including sprint stars Anju
Bobby George, PT Usha, ace tennis star Leander Paes, shooters Manavjit Singh and
Abhinav Bindra, boxer Akhil Kumar and hockey player Dhanraj Pillay, will be part
of the run.
Actors Saif Ali Khan, Amir Khan, Sagarika Ghatge of "Chak De India" fame and
Sarod player Ayan Ali Khan will also be seen in action.
Sachin Tendulkar, who was supposed to carry the flames, has pulled out at the
last minute.
"He is not well and he has also an Indian Premier League captain's meeting to
attend. But he has shown his solidarity for the Olympic movement," Kalmadi said
on Wednesday.
Out of 70 torchbearers, 47 have been chosen by India and five by the BOCOG,
the Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games, while Olympic presenting
partners have selected 19 runners.
Kalmadi expects for a great relay in New Dehli. "The entire world is looking
to India and the expectation is that the torch relay will be one of the greatest
shows here," said Kalmadi.
"We are hopeful that we will be able to live up to the expectations of the
world community."
"We do not want to see a repeat of what happened in Paris and London. It is a
sacred torch and its safety is our responsibility," Kalmadi told a press
conference.
"We are not afraid of any movement. They can have the movement anywhere else.
We just want the torch relay to be safe. The safety of the torch is our
responsibility and we are hopeful that the relay will go on well without any
disruption," added he.