Coke's deft Olympian manoeuvre

Mohini Bhatnagar
19 June 2007

Coca-Cola, being one of the oldest global sponsors of the Olympics, is bringing the Olympic flame to New Delhi and is generating excitement in the market with its selection of torchbearers, says Mohini Bhatnagar

New Delhi: The Olympic flame for the XXVIII (28th) Olympic Games in Athens, Greece is expected to arrive in New Delhi on June 10, 2004.

The Athens 2004 organising committee for the Olympics and relay sponsor, Coca-Cola, say that for the first time since the summer games were revived in 1896, the capital of India has been included among the 34 cities of the world that will host the historic, global Olympic flame relay.

The worldwide route has been designed to retrace the path of the modern Olympic games which began in 1896. In early June this year, the Olympic flame will embark on a 21st-century-style tour that will circle the world and include every city that has hosted the summer Olympic games, plus Beijing (hosts for the 2008 Olympics).

However, New Delhi, which has never hosted Olympic games, has also been included among all former summer games sites for the upcoming 'Athens 2004 Olympic torch relay.' for the first time ever, the event will bring the Olympic flame to Africa and South America and will include all five continents represented by the Olympic rings.

The theme established by the Athens organising committee for the "Athens 2004 Olympic torch relay" is, "pass the flame, unite the world." The flame will travel from city to city by plane. Within each city, the traditional Olympic torch relay on foot will be conducted for one day.