JEDDAH, 26 October 2007 — Al-Hussein Majed Al-Qassim, an Economics student of King Abdul Aziz University, will represent Saudi Arabia as one of 1,500 Samsung torchbearers from all over the world for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay. His name was picked among four students nominated by different Saudi universities for competing in the selection process organized by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. at the Jeddah Marriott yesterday. Mishal Waleed Al-Hazza of King Saud University was the runner-up.
“I am pleasantly surprised by my selection and am delighted to represent my country to deliver the ‘Olympic spirit’ among 1,500 torch bearers for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay,” Al-Hussein Majed Al-Qassim, said.
Gye Choon Cho, Samsung Electronics’ Jeddah-based general manager for Middle East and Africa, and Adnan Matbouli, CEO, United Matbouli Group, who is also representing the Kingdom at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, picked the names of the winner and runner-up.
Al-Muhannad Abdulrahman Abduljawad of Taiba University, Madinah, who was also in the race, said he was disappointed but was glad that his fellow student would have the honor to represent the Kingdom.
The main selection criteria were based on excellent academic and extracurricular achievements of students, Cho said.
In line with its continuous support of sports events around the world, and its contribution to developing sports spirit in the youth community, and especially in Saudi Arabia, Samsung organized this campaign for the past one month to select a Saudi student to participate in the Olympic torch relay as a representative of the Kingdom.
The Olympic torch will be carried in the 5 continents represented by the 5 circles in the Olympic Games logo, Inamullah Butt, Samsung’s local marketing manager, said. “At Samsung we are proud sponsors of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Torch Relay and were looking for passionate torchbearers to help carry the flame of the Olympic spirit to Beijing in time for the 2008 games.” “The torch relay competition is of great significance in spreading the Olympic spirit among all walks of life in Saudi Arabia, in displaying the international image of the Kingdom as well as the enthusiasm of the Saudi people,” Butt added.
“Sport is a way of promoting cooperation among individuals, companies and nations, and thus in Samsung, we believe in building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport, hence our Saudi initiative,” he added.
“Samsung, being one of the privileged Partners for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay believes that the global Torch Relay is truly a show of unity among all communities of the world as they run together toward a global celebration of the Olympic values of fair play, friendship, practice, exercise and ethos,” he said.
Samsung entered its first agreement with the IOC to become a ‘Top partner’ in 1997 and sponsored the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games. Since then, the company has become an official top partner of the Olympic Games in wireless telecommunications equipment, which will last until 2016. “With the sponsorship of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, Samsung is committed to sponsoring the longest, most extensive, and most inclusive one of its kind in the history of the Olympic Movement,” Butt added.
