 |
| No.5 August, 2009 |
|
| |
|
| |
100-day countdown to East Asian Games |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 Hong Kong will celebrate the impending arrival of the East Asian Games and its role as host city with a Torch Relay.
The August 29 relay marks the 100 day countdown to the opening ceremony of the games, as well as celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.
The relay's theme - "Light the Way to the EAG" – highlights the spirit of the games for athletes and competitors but also the entire community.
A total of 65 torchbearers - of whom more than 80 per cent are athletes – will follow a route set against the backdrop of one of the world's most spectacular waterfront settings, winding through Tsim Sha Tsui, Victoria Harbour and Wan Chai districts.
The event will be followed by a formal handing over ceremony to kick off the School Torch Relay which will involve students from 500 schools and take place throughout September and November.
The Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games will be held between December 5 and 13. More than 3,000 elite athletes from nine East Asian countries and regions will vie for 262 gold medals in 22 sports. This year’s games will set records with the most number of sports and medals on offer.
They are also significant as it will be the first time Hong Kong has hosted a large-scale international multi-sport event.
The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, said the torch relay helped promote the games and the messages of health, dynamism, friendship and competition to the community – all important elements of sports development in Hong Kong.
Mr Tsang said final phase preparations for the games were progressing well and included work at venues, funding, volunteer recruitment, ticketing, publicity and logistics.
He said that the EAG would further promote sports development in Hong Kong and enhance exchanges among nations and territories in the East Asian region. This would in turn consolidate Hong Kong's status as an event capital, he added. |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
