(with photos) KUWAIT, May 19 (KUNA) -- The Kuwaiti sports champion, Zed Al-Rifai, the first Arab to climb Mount Everest, has been chosen to be in the team that would carry the Olympic flame in the summer games in London.
Al-Rifai told KUNA that Samsung Co., a partner in the organizing the sports event, picked him because of his record of climbing the mountain in 2003.
The Kuwaiti champion, who conquered the Earth's highest mountain of 8,848 metres (29029 ft) above sea level, would carry the torch for 400 meters. He would be one among nine others, who had been chosen from the Middle East for the symbolic demonstration.
Al-Rifai had been chosen to carry the Olympic torch in Beijing in 2008. However, at the time, ceremonial demonstration of the flame was cancelled due to an earthquake that struck the Asian nation that year.
The national figure said he was pleased to make the demonstration for it would coincide with the ninth anniversary of his trek to the peak of the Everest, on May 22, 2003.
The torch that had been carried across 1,000 cities, towns and villages in several countries would be carried in London on July 27, signaling inauguration of the international athletic contests.
It was first introduced in the modern Olympic games at the 1928 Summer Olympic Games in Amsterdam. (end) ayr.abd.rk KUNA 191110 May 12NNNN