Following its 50,000km, 50 day, 14 country and region tour of Asia, the 15th Asian Games Flame comes home to Qatar on Saturday 25 November. Thousands will be there to greet the Torch Relay as it reaches home soil.

So far the Flame, on the longest-ever Asian Games Torch Relay, has passed through the hands of 3,000 Doha 2006 Torchbearers, but a further 1,000 hands will hold the Doha 2006 Torch as it covers 565km on home soil.

At a press conference today, 23 November, details of the Torch Relay in Qatar were announced.

A traditional Dhow, Al Shaqab, will bring the Flame by sea from Manama, capital city of Bahrain, arriving at Qatar's Al Shamal port at 14:30.

HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the 15th Asian Games Torch Relay Ambassador, will bring the Torch ashore and, after being given a traditional welcome by a Qatari woman, will be showered with flower petals thrown by the 5,000 schoolchildren who will line the route to the celebration stage.

Abdulla Aziz Nohanned, Qatar's renowned radio presenter, will welcome HE Sheikh Joaan to the stage and, as the Cauldron is lit, thousands of balloons will be released into the air.

A performance of the Ardha traditional dance by over 100 men flourishing their ceremonial swords and a speech by the Secretary General of the Qatari National Olympic Committee, HE Sheikh Saoud Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, will conclude the festivities for the Relay to start once more.

At 15:15 the Torch will tour Al Shamal port to starting its 13km route which will take in Umm Tais National Park before returning to Al Shamal port where the evening's celebrations will commence at 18:00.

Over the next five days the Torch Relay will tour Qatar before the pinnacle of its travels, the arrival at Khalifa Stadium to light the 15th Asian Games Cauldron to signify the beginning of the Games.

It is reported that Nasser Al Attiya, Qatar's multi-talented competitor – champion skeet shooter and recent World Championship rally driver – will carry the Torch to Khalifa Stadium on 1 December.

(dohaasiangames.org November 23, 2006)