Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

    MACAO, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Macao Olympic Committee (MOC) Thursday announced the torchbearer list and route of the upcoming Macao-leg Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, which will see local martial art athlete take the starting position to kick off the event.

    Being the last stop outside the Chinese mainland, there are a total of 120 torchbearers participating in the relay, which include 69 invited torchbearers, 15 publicly elected ones, 12 designated by the International Olympic Committee and 24 selected by global sponsors of the Beijing Olympic Games, according to the MOC.

    Among the torchbearers, local martial art athlete, Leong Hong Man, who has represented Macao to compete in the Asian Games thrice, will be the first torchbearer in the Macao-leg relay on May 3, said Mauel Silverio, first vice-president of MOC, at a press conference on Thursday.

    "I am grateful to the organizer's trust and support by making me as the first torchbearer, which is certainly a great honor to me," said Leong. Among the 120 torchbearers, local athletes take up 22 of the total.

    Meanwhile, Leong Heng Teng, a member of the Executive Council of the Special Administration Region (SAR) government, was named as the last torchbearer in the relay, Silverio also said, adding that the decision was made in accordance with the spirit of universally sharing the Olympic events with as many people as possible.

    As regards the route, the relay will pass along most of the city's iconic buildings and cultural relics, with a special section that will see the Olympic flame being relayed on a dragon boat in the city's Nam Van Lake.

    To secure public order during the torch relay, local authorities will mobilize around 220 policemen on May 3, and traffic control will be exercised on roads where the relay will be carried out.

    Silverio estimated that the torch relay on Saturday will lead to some traffic jam in the city, but he still hope that local residents can show understanding to the inconvenience caused by the event and welcome the torchbearers with cheering moods.