Beijing Olympic torch relay in Macao

MACAO -- The 21st leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay started in Macao SAR Saturday afternoon.

At the launching ceremony, Ho Hau Wah Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) handed torch to Leong Hong Man, a local martial arts athlete and also the first torchbearer.

"Today marks a special day in the history of Macao in which the Macao SAR Government and the general public take pride, and will forever be remembered as the day we welcome for the first time, the Olympic Flame to our city for the important Olympic Torch Relay," said Ho.

Macao is the 21st stop of the Olympic torch relay. After the relay in the island city, the sacred flame will be delivered to the first stop in the Chinese mainland.

For his part, He Zhenliang, representative of International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, said that the Olympic Games is a festive celebration of peace and friendship for the global community, and to make the Beijing Olympic Games successful, "we need the support of the entire nation, including the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR)."

Macao's gaming mogul, 86-year-old Stanley Ho was the second torchbearer in the relay. "It's just 200 meters, no big deal. I am quite capable of running longer distances," He said excitedly after running some 200 meters in the relay.

As the event was historically launched in the island city, LaamWah Ying, president of the Macao Olympic Committee, also called upon the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to admit Macao as its member, which failed to see any one of its athletes to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

"We are hopeful that with the support of the Central People's Government, the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Chinese Olympic Committee, our Olympic dream will one day become a reality, allowing our athletes to step into the Olympic arena," he said at the ceremony.

The route of the Macao-leg relay will pass along most of the city's cultural relics and iconic buildings such as the Grand Lisboa casino hotel.