Kenya's Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai has been selected to participate in the Olympic torch relay in Tanzania next month.
Maathai was selected along with former multiple Olympic gold medallist Kipchoge Keino and will be among 80 people who will carry the torch in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 13 which is the only African city that will host the Olympic flame.
The two were unveiled to participate in the torch relay which will be held in Dar es Salaam Tanzania next month. The two will be among six other African torch bearers who will participate in the Olympic torch relay on April 13 in Dar es Salaam.
The Nobel laureate who will be carrying the flame for the second time after last year's Winter Olympics in Italy, expressed happiness that the theme for this year's Olympics will have an environmental theme "Green Olympics".
Prof. Maathai urged Kenyans to uphold peace and work together to lift the nation to greater glory.
"I am very excited about the fact that theme is going to be a green Olympics. An Olympic that will focus on the environment and a clean environment at that," said Maathai.
Other torch bearers selected by sponsors Coca Cola include United Nations Under Secretary Anna Tibaijuka, Uganda's Dorcas Inzikuru, Pierre Kakure and Coca Cola's President of East African region Newton Kalubu.
Keino who is also the chairman of National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) said that the torch relay plays a significant role in the world.
"The main goal of the Olympic torch is to unite youths around the world. Win or lose we shake hands and maintain peace and friendship. The games in Beijing will be important for Kenya in promoting peace in the country and we should ensure we are ready," said Keino.
It will be Keino's seventh time to carry the torch having performed similar duties in 1974, 1976, 1984, 1996, 2000 and 2004.
A former Olympiad, Keino burst into world fame when he defied doctor's instructions at the 1968 games going on to win the 1,500 meters gold in Mexico City.
Inzikuru won Uganda's first ever gold medal at any global athletics event when she won the 3, 000 meters world title in Helsinki in 2005 while Kakure has been involved in wildlife protection especially of baboons in DR Congo.
Coca Cola are the oldest sponsors of the Olympic Games having started their partnership in 1928 and East Africa Corporate Relations manager Nelson Githinji said the giant soft drinks company was delighted to be part of the showpiece.
"We do believe that the Olympic torch relay does provide an opportunity for people to come together and inspires even more people along the route to take positive action that can make a difference in their community," said Githinji.
Former world marathon record holder Paul Tergat who is also an Olympics ambassador pledged his support for the national team which he said has the potential to perform better at the Beijing Olympics than in the past.
(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2008)