Emirati boy gatecrashes running party in Muscat

Muscat: An Emirati teenage boy showed camaraderie with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch bearers in Muscat by running parallel almost the entire 20km relay distance covered by 80 runners on Monday.

Sixteen-year-old Ali Redha Al Ameri told Gulf News that he ran with them to show solidarity.

"I also wanted to prove that even young schoolboys like us can run and participated in this historic moment," said Ali, who carried the Omani flag while jogging with the torch bearers.

"I am proud for what I did and hope my parents would be proud of my feat," said Ali, who got the privilege of joining the other torch bearers at the end of the relay. He stood alongside Oman's international tennis star Fatma Al Nabhani, the youngest of the runners.