Suzanne Mubarak shared in the joy of Egypt receiving the Special Olympics torch for the first time. Abeer Anwar joined the journey A torch relay for the 2007 Shanghai Special Olympics ended at the foot of the Giza Pyramids in Cairo on Monday night after the flame arrived from Egypt's northern port city of Alexandria earlier in the day. The starting place for the torch was, as usual, Greece from where it was transported by ship. After Egypt, it goes to London, England. On Monday morning, The Flame of Hope arrived in Alexandria, about 220 km northwest of Cairo. Torch relay ceremonies were held in several spots in the Mediterranean city, including the ancient Citadel of Qaitbay, in the northern Egyptian port city in the morning, and in front of the Library of Alexandria. It then moved to Cairo governorate in Al-Azhar Park, towards the Giza Pyramids and culminated in a gala reception attended by Honourary Chairwoman of Special Olympics Egypt Suzanne Mubarak. DHL carried the Flame Of Hope which will tour the world until it reaches Shanghai for the Summer Games for the intellectually disabled to take place from 2-11 October 2007. "The partnership between DHL and Special Olympics marks the first time that the Flame of Hope, which is traditionally carried by law enforcement personnel and Special Olympics athletes, will be transported globally prior to reaching the opening ceremony in Shanghai," said Lee Todd, Special Olympics chief of the World Games and Competitions. "The Torch Run is Special Olympics' largest grass-roots fund- raiser and public awareness vehicle, involving more than 85,000 law enforcement officials around the world with the objective of showcasing the unification of society and the inclusive nature of Special Olympics," Todd added. Egypt was just one of 10 countries, and the only one in the Middle east and North Africa region, to host the torch run. Leading the relay team, Chinese athlete Xu Chuang and Egyptian athlete Mohamed El-Ibrachi carried the torch and headed for the pyramids where Mrs Mubarak received them. In her address, Mrs Mubarak expressed her happiness for Egypt having been chosen the first station to receive the torch relay for the first time in the history of Special Olympics. She also cheered and welcomed all 20 MENA athletes and asked all attendees to help people with intellectual disabilities "as they really deserve our care and help. "Your presence and enthusiasm instills more vigor and enlightens our vision and breeds stronger commitment to our cause," Mrs Mubarak said. "It is the universality of one noble mission, our pursuit of one common objective. It is this togetherness behind one human commitment -- the discharge of a shared responsibility. It is this solidarity and cooperation that bring us all here today." Mrs Mubarak said she was happy that the torch had begun its journey from in front of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a "cultural landmark." Fireworks lit the night sky of Giza Plateau. Folklore dancing and music were performed by the disabled. Laser works depicted the logo of the Games and the torch. At one point, Mrs Mubarak herself carried the torch, which she called "a symbol of civilisation, will and peace." She was photographed with the torch bearers and autographed a T-shirt. Reporters from news agencies and dozens of photographers were present. Guests made use of monitors on tables to see the proceedings from wherever they were seated. Along the route, police escorts joined the torch relay team on its way from Alexandria to Cairo to Giza. From Alex to Cairo the torch was transported by bus. "I just want to enjoy the games and try my best to do well," said Hamed Mohamed , a Special Olympics Egypt athletes. "I will do my best to collect medals." "For more than 25 years, the Flame of Hope, which symbolises the courage and celebrates the diversity represented by the Special Olympics movement, has been traditionally lit in Athens, Greece, then went to Europe or directly to its headquarters in Washington but this is the first time it passes through Africa,"Ayman Abdel-Wahab, MENA's managing director, said. A second honour was the patronage of Mrs Suzanne Mubarak which gave the event more importance. "She cheered the intellectually disabled athletes who are very proud of being in the heart and mind of Egypt's First Lady," Abdel-Wahab said. "Last year, I visited China and saw the rehearsal. It was well organised and the organising committee was very professional. I am sure that the Shanghai Special Olympics will achieve great success," Abdel-Wahab said during a reception held at the Chinese Embassy in Cairo. He added that Special Olympics aims at encouraging more and more special people to join the event, hoping that the Shanghai Special Olympics "can boost efforts to pay more attention to this special group of people. "The Special Olympic torch relay is a big event in the history of this country and the region, coupled with the efforts of Mrs Suzanne Mubarak and government ministers." Abdel-Wahab said he believed the torch event will promote the development of Special Olympics in Egypt, the region and the world. Chairman of Special Olympics Egypt Ismail Osman and Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Mesilhi hailed the achievements China had made in social, economic, sports and culture. Mesilhi noted the increasing influence of China in the international arena, and wished China more development and a successful Shanghai Special Olympics. Chinese Ambassador Wu Sike noted that the Shanghai Special Olympics will not only be a grand event of special people around the world, "but also a pageant which will demonstrate a harmonious world and peaceful coexistence, which will promote cultural exchange among countries and synchronisation of human civilisation." More than 10,000 athletes and coaches and 20,000 family members from over 160 countries and regions are expected to show up. The Olympic torch was lit in Athens for the first time in 1896, and today continues to serve as a symbol of strength and determination for athletes from around the world. The flame itself was lit just after 11am Greece local time using the rays of the sun at the sacred site of Pnyx, located across from the Acropolis, in a ceremony hosted by Special Olympics Greece. Other stops on the route will include London, Washington DC and a dozen cities throughout China as well as the 19 districts of Shanghai. The flame will travel more than 35,000 kilometres (22,000 miles), touching down on five continents over the next three months before arriving in Shanghai. Special Olympics recently announced its 2011 World Summer Games will be held in Athens.
