Sixty people, including Vietnamese officials, sports trainers, athletes and outstanding youths have been selected as torchbearers of the Beijing Olympic torch relay slated for April 29 in Vietnam's biggest city of Ho Chi Minh.

The first torchbearer is Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, vice mayor of Ho Chi Minh City and also chairperson of the Organizing Board of Beijing Olympic Games Torch Relay in the city.

"I am proud of being the first torchbearer, and also feel the great responsibility upon me as head of the torch relay organizing board," she told Xinhua on Monday.

She pledged that the board will do everything possible to ensure a smooth torch relay in the city.

Other torchbearers include Hoang Vinh Giang, vice chairman and general secretary of the Vietnam Olympic Committee, karate athlete Nguyen Hoang Ngan, body builder Ly Duc, swimming trainer Nguyen Kieu Oanh and pop star My Tam and Chinese ambassador to Vietnam Hu Qianwen.

The 60 torchbearers will cover a 10-13 kilometers route starting from the Opera House in the city center and ending at a stadium near the Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

The Beijing Olympic flame will be flown into Ho Chi Minh city on Monday night. This will be the 19th leg of the flame's global journey.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2008)