Li Hao
THE Universiade torch relay route would include four universities, according to Yuan Chengyong, vice director of the cultural activities department of the executive office of the Games organizing committee.
The Universiade flame will be ignited at Qinghua University in Beijing in late April. The torch relay is scheduled to start at Beijing University on May 4, Chinese Youth Day, said Yuan on the sidelines of yesterday s simulated torch relay at Shenzhen University.
The torch relay would reach Shenzhen University on May 10, and then be carried out by mainly college students, said Yuan.
After the relay at Shenzhen University, the torch would be passed on to the Guangzhou-based Zhongshan (a.k.a. Sun Yat-sen) University and Guangdong University of Foreign Studies at Guangzhou University Town.
On Aug. 10 and 11, two days before the opening of the Universiade, the relay would continue in Shenzhen, covering the downtown area and Longgang District, which was home to the Universiade Center and Athletes Village, Yuan said.
Foreign college students will be invited to participate in the torch relay in Shenzhen, Yuan said.
On the opening day, 10 torchbearers would carry the torch to the Shenzhen Bay Stadium, the opening venue.
A nationwide selection of 900 torchbearers for the Universiade started March 14 at Shenzhen University. On top of the physical torch relay, a virtual torch relay would also be held between May 15 and Aug. 10 through an online campus community operated by the instant messenger giant Tencent.
The small number of campuses to be covered and the use of the virtual relay were aimed at an economical Games, according to earlier media reports.
According to an original plan, the torch relay route would cover 50 universities around the country.
An official press conference is expected to release details of the torch relay, according to Yuan, who didn t give an exact date.
The heads of delegations from at least 50 countries were scheduled to meet in Shenzhen between Wednesday and Sunday.
