Doha all dressed up to welcome the athletes

Doha: Qatar is transforming Doha into an exciting sporting city for the 15th edition of the Asian Games starting on December 1 when an estimated 1.7 billion people would tune in to watch the event.

The city's new look includes the dressing-up of main thoroughfares with multi-coloured banners and flags, wrapping-up many buildings with huge powerful sporting images and lighting-up the city through the use of special effects, organisers said. Orry, the official mascot of the Games, inspired by the Arabian oryx, is already dominating Doha's popular Corniche.

"Doha is being transformed into a magnificent venue just waiting to amaze participants, visitors and spectators. Our landscape is filled with the spirit of the Games through the brilliant colours of Doha 2006. Our programme would ensure that the participants' and spectators' experiences would be unique and unforgettable," said Abdullah Khalid Al Qah'tani, Director General of the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee (DAGOC), in a statement posted on the Games' official website.

The first appointment would be the Doha 2006 Torch Relay, starting with a lighting ceremony tomorrow. The ceremony will signify the beginning of the longest relay in the history of the Games, travelling over 50,000 kilometres to 15 countries in more than 50 days.

Torchbearers

The Doha 2006 Torch will be carried by 3,500 torchbearers in participating Asian countries, across land, sea and air and would travel by various means of transport, likely to include trains, bicycles, camels, horses, trams, canoes, dragon boats and ferries. A celebration would be staged when the Torch Relay comes to a stop in the city.

The Torch Relay would conclude when the final torchbearer enters the Khalifa Stadium during the Games' opening ceremony on December 1.

One of the defining features of the event is the giant 60-metre high Cauldron that will be the site of the Games flame.

The ground-breaking ceremonies will involve several outstanding international artists and include a cast of more than 5,000 volunteers.

The vast majority of the props, sets and scenery have already arrived in Doha after being shipped from Sydney where the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee has a purpose built workshop drawing on the finest talent from the film and entertainment industry.

Major sporting event

The Asian Games is the second largest international sporting event after the Summer Olympic Games.

It brings together countries from all over Asia and consists of some sports not very well known on all international levels.

The First Asian Games took place in New Delhi in 1951 and featured 11 countries for just six sports.

Now, 55 years later, the Games will include 45 countries participating in 39 competitive sports totalling 423 events.

More than 10,500 athletes and officials will attend while a volunteer force of 16,000 comprising all nationalities will support the organisation.