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Muscat: A helicopter hovered low over the Sohar Boat Roundabout on the foot of Bustan Hill as Liu Jin Min handed over the 2008 Beijing Olympics torch to Sayid Muttasim Hamood Al Said and the Royal Oman Police Band played 'Beat the Retreat.'
On handing the torch, Liu said: "Oman is a beautiful country and Muscat is one of the world's cleanest cities and it is an honour to bring the flame here."
A large number of Chinese expatriates gathered and along with school children greeted the flame as Sayid Shehab Bin Tariq, advisor to Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, took off on the relay run in Muscat.
The relay run went through the fishing hamlet of Sidab, through the old town of Muscat and passed in front of the Old Muttrah Souq corniche and culminated at Qurum Nature Park.
A throng of kids lined up along the Sidab road, some carrying banners and flags, some of which were handed over by sponsors Samsung.
Shaikha Naima Al Sabah, chairman of the GCC Women's Sports Federation, said: "It is a proud moment for every GCC citizen that Oman has been chosen as a route for the Olympic torch relay."
Proud occasion
She added that it was also a proud occasion that three women were amongst the torch bearers. Habiba Al Hinai (volleyball player), Fatma Al Nabhani (tennis player) and Rahma Al Habsi (wheelchair athlete) are the three women to have been chosen as torch bearers.
Although there were no accurate figures available, approximately 2,000-3,000 Chinese expatriates work in Oman. Most of them have got a holiday from their jobs to turn up for the torch relay.
Michael Xiong, an employee with Huawei Technology, said: "Finally, we will have a happy torch relay in Oman," and even added that Oman was a peaceful country and it was an honour that they were here to see such an event unfold.
Three Chinese security personnel ran along with the torch bearers in blue and white relay tracksuits.
It was an unprecedented and overwhelming response as people lined up all along the route up to the corniche, the halfway distance for the 20km torch relay. Each runner was overwhelmed.
Former Indian cricket captain and manager, Ravi Shastri, got the biggest cheer as he did the last lap on the corniche before the relay took a break.
Shastri later told Gulf News: "It was an unbelievable experience, I had goosebumps."
He was so soaked up by the response from the crowd that he refused to board the bus after handing over the torch and continued walking and shaking hands with people for another 400 metres.
Most of the torch bearers at the end of their turn expressed a feeling of contentment and joy.
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