The Olympic Flame burning for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics was warmly welcomed across western Greece on Friday, as the Greek leg of the Torch Relay continued for a second day.

After the Lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games on Thursday noon the sacred light headed to the city of Pyrgos where the cauldron was lit by the junior world record man in pole vault, Emmanouil Karalis under the warm applause of hundreds of students.

At Lechaina Pericles Iakovakis, the 2003 world champion in 400 meters hurdles, who was raised in the town, was among torchbearers.

By ferry the Flame travelled on Thursday evening to the Ionian island of Zakynthos.

Greek champion marathon runner Magda Gazea who will compete in Rio, lit the cauldron at the port' s central square as the crowd was waving Greek and Brazilian flags and olive tree branches.

During the second day of the Relay, the Olympic Flame passed from Patras port, where two other athletes who have secured the ticket to the Rio Games carried the torch: marathon runner Sophia Riga and swimmer Nora Drakou.

Spreading the ideals of the Olympic Games the Flame was also carried to Messolonghi and Lefkada island where among torchbearers was Korina Politi, a 200 meters runner who has won the Greek championship.

On Friday evening the Sacred light reached the city of Preveza where it will stay overnight. Local Marios Katsis, 2003 world champion in kick boxing, was among torchbearers.

The Greek leg of the Relay will end on April 27 at the Panathinaic stadium in central Athens where Greeks will pass the Flame to the Brazilian organizers of the 2016 Summer Olympics.

A day earlier Syrian refugee Ibrahim al Hussein will carry the torch inside the Eleonas refugee camp in Athens in a symbolic gesture meant to show solidarity with the world' s refugees, the Hellenic Olympic Committee announced on Friday.

Al Hussein, 27, is a swimmer who lost part of his leg during a bombing in 2012 in Syria, reached Greece on a dinghy in 2014 and in June will compete in the Panhellenic games for swimmers with disabilities. 

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by Xinhua News Agency

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