Actors, sports stars gear up for Olympic run

READY FOR RELAY: The torch will pass through 70 sets of hands on Thursday and that includes Leander Paes.

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New Delhi: After a stormy journey through the streets of London and Paris, the Olympic torch will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday. While the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has little say about security issues, they have some headaches of their own to deal with.

IOA President Suresh Kalmadi says that the world is watching India. For him it will be a nerve-wracking Thursday.

Wednesday didn't get off to a great start with the news that Sachin Tendulkar has pulled out of the relay apparently due to the same groin injury that kept him out of the last two test matches against South Africa.

However, Kalmadi putting on a brave face stated, "There are several other sportsmen. We are not worried."

Kalmadi's confidence perhaps stems from the cream of Indian sport he has lined up in a show of strength at the IOA's pre-launch event and the most of the athletes aren't concerned too much about Tendulkar's decision to pull out.

Indian Shooter, Manavjit Singh Sandhu said, "The Olympic movement is bigger than any individual." — meaning that the relay will go on without Tendulkar.

The torch will pass through 70 sets of hands on Thursday and that includes the likes of Leander Paes, P T Usha, Dhanraj Pillai and Jaspal Rana. Actors Saif Ali Khan, Aamir Khan and Chak De girl Sagarika Ghatge will run too and they all say that it is a great honour.