Welcoming the coming 2009 East Asian Games (EAG) in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong 2009 EAG 100-day Countdown-cum-Torch Relay will be held on August 29 to build up the atmosphere, official said on Thursday.

The EAG is set to be held in Hong Kong for a week, from December 5 to 12, 2009. It'll be the first large-scale international multi-sport event that Hong Kong has ever hosted, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing said at a briefing.

The torch relay, with the theme Light the Way to the East Asian Games, will be held from 3pm to about 4.30pm on August 29, with 65 torchbearers participating, most of them athletes.

Tsang said that the torch relay will promote the messages of health, dynamism, friendship and competition, which were important elements of sports development in Hong Kong.

The torch relay on August 29 will start at the Kowloon Park Piazza, then proceed along Austin Road, Nathan Road, Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, the Avenue of Stars, across Victoria Harbour to Expo Drive East, Harbour Road and Expo Drive to finish at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai.

The flame will then be transported to TV City in Tseung Kwan O by car, where the last torchbearer will finish the last leg of the relay.

A countdown show will then be held that evening featuring a torch handing-over ceremony to kick off the school torch relay to be held from September to November involving 400,000 students from 500 schools. The show will be broadcast on TVB Jade at 10.30pm.

Canto-pop artists Alan Tam, Hacken Lee and Eason Chan have been named the Games' ambassadors.

Mr Timothy Fok appointing Alan Tam, Hacken Lee and Eason Chan as the EAG Ambassadors.
The EAG Mascots, Dony and Ami, posing a group photo with guests and EAG Ambassadors.
Student representatives from the schools joining the School Torch Relay posing a photo with Dony and Ami.
The torch for the 2009 East Asian Games Torch Relay.