HIROSHIMA, Japan — The flame for the upcoming Asian Games torch relay was lit Thursday at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, linking the continental sporting event with the Japanese city’s enduring message of peace.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and Hajime Moriyasu, coach of Japan’s men’s national football team, took part in the ceremony that marked another step toward the start of the Games.
Matsui ignited a torch using the Flame of Peace, which honors the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Moriyasu then used a lighting rod to receive the flame, which was subsequently placed in a golden lantern.
Moriyasu, who started his football career in Hiroshima, highlighted the role of sports in bringing together people with different backgrounds, values and cultures.
He said he hoped the athletes bound for the Asian Games would compete with determination while carrying a message of peace.
The Asian Games are scheduled for Sept. 19 to Oct. 4 and will be staged primarily in Aichi Prefecture in central Japan.
Hiroshima previously hosted the Asian Games in 1994, giving the city a historic connection to the quadrennial competition.
Another flame-lighting ceremony was held in Tokyo on Tuesday. The capital hosted the Asian Games in 1958.
The flames from Hiroshima, Tokyo and Nagoya — Aichi’s capital — are set to be combined at Nagoya Castle on Saturday. The torch relay will then begin its journey through Aichi on the same day.
(Sourced online via Jiji Press/elamigo/xf)
