A torch relay of 2007 Shanghai Special Olympics was held Monday evening at the Giza Pyramids in the Egyptian capital of Cairo after the flame of the games arrived here from Greece via Egypt's northern port city of Alexandria earlier in the day.
At the Giza heights, where the Pyramids lie, the Law Enforcement Torch Run mainly participated by policemen and special Olympics athletes for the 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games kicked off in the evening.
Leading the torch relay team, Chinese athlete Xu Chuang and Egyptian athlete Mohamed El Ibrachy carried the torch and headed for the spot where a welcome ceremony was holding with the participation of Egypt's First Lady Suzanne Mubarak.
On the way to the spot of the welcome ceremony, scores of policemen joined the torch relay team.
After the two athletes ignited a big torch on the stage of the ceremony, Egyptian artists performed folk dances welcoming the arrival of the flame and torch.
Egyptian special Olympics athlete Alaa Salma said he is looking forward to the upcoming Special Olympics in Shanghai.
"I just want to enjoy the game and try my best to do well," said Salma, who visited Shanghai last year during an invitation tennis game and has a very good impression of the city.
Deputy mayor of Shanghai Zhou Taitong said at the ceremony that the Shanghai Games, which was scheduled for October 2-11 in the eastern Chinese city, is an opportunity for the world to encourage the mental disabled people and to strengthen cultural exchanges among various civilizations.
Earlier in the morning, the flame of 2007 Shanghai Special Olympics arrived in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria, about 220 km northwest of Cairo.
Torch relay ceremonies were held at several spots, including the ancient Citadel of Qaitbay, in the northern Egyptian port city in the morning after the flame was received in front of the Library of Alexandria.
After the flame was collected in Greece and the torch was first ignited there on June 29, Egypt is the first stop of the torch relay tour of the 12th Special Olympics World Summer Games.
After the Law Enforcement Torch Run in Egypt, the Special Olympics flame will be delivered to England, the next stop of the torch relay tour around the world.
More than 10,000 athletes and coaches, 20,000 family members from more than 160 countries and regions are expected to show up at the Shanghai Games.