Cape Town will have the honour of playing host to the Olympic flame during the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay on June 12, sharing in the first time its travels of the globe.
The best-known symbol of the Games, the Olympic flame will be kindled in ancient Olympia and will, for the first time, travel to all five continents before returning to the country of its birth for the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
The Olympic torch relay is the transfer of the Olympic flame from ancient Olympia, Greece, to the stadium of the city hosting the opening ceremony of the Games and is the primary symbol of the Olympic ideal, noble competition, friendship and peaceful coexistence.
The theme for this year’s Olympic torch relay is Pass the Flame, Unite the World and the objective is to give the Olympic flame the possibility to light the universal values of Olympism and touch people’s hearts.
For the South African part of the relay (the ninth leg of the relay), the Olympic flame will wind its way through the streets of Cape Town in celebration of the Olympic values of fair play, peace, equality, tolerance and understanding. Torch bearers, selected through competitions currently being run by presenting partners Samsung and Coca-Cola, will promote the bond between sport and culture.
”Samsung’s commitment to the Olympics dates back to 1988 and for the South African torch bearers, we are looking for local or national heroes who have uplifted a community through inspiration, innovation and leadership — qualities that mirror the Samsung brand,” says Sarit Reouveni, group marketing manager for Samsung.
The broader objectives of the Olympic torch relay are not only to unite the people of South Africa, but to communicate the role sport can play in uniting people, facilitate Olympic education and demonstrate that Cape Town is a world-class venue that is more than capable of hosting international events.
In a journey that will last about 78 days, the Olympic flame will cover a distance of more than 78Â 000km throughout the world, uniting people from all walks of life. — Sapa