体坛英语新闻：Olympic Flame sends message of worldwide peace from Greek-Turkish border

ATHENS, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic Flame burning for this summer's London Olympics sent the world on Monday a strong message of peace from the Greek-Turkish border, on the fifth day of the Torch Relay that will continue across Greece until May 17.

The symbol of Olympism and Truce arrived at the border outpost of Kipi on the border between neighbour countries and historic arch rivals Greece and Turkey, where the cauldron was lit by the Chairman of the Olympic Torch Relay Commission Spyros Zannias.

"My father lost his eyesight in the Second World War. I know how destructive a war can be and the importance of peace. We brought the Flame here to prove that there is nothing that separates the people of the planet. We must all learn from the messages and values of Olympism," he stressed, according to a press release by the Hellenic Olympic Committee.

Symbolically during the stop at Kipi, four Greek border guards were amongst torchbearers carrying the sacred Light, as well as a Romanian police officer, member of the Frontex force guarding Europe's borders, who expressed his enthusiasm for the experience, wishing that "peace prevails everywhere."

The fifth day of the Torch Relay started from the city of Kavala on Monday, where it had made an overnight stop, and passed through a number of towns, such as Komotini, Feres, Alexandroupoli and Xanthi across northern Greece under loud applauses by cheering crowds, before reaching Drama.

The sacred Flame will stay there overnight and on Tuesday the Olympic Torch Relay will continue its route southwards to Athens, where on Thursday during a handing over ceremony at Panathinaikon Stadium British organizers of the XXX Olympics will receive it to transfer it to the United Kingdom.

Thursday's ceremony to be hosted at the venue of the first modern Olympics in 1896, will mark the end of the Greek leg of the Torch Relay that started last week from Olympia, the birthplace of the Games 2,500 years ago, and the start of the final countdown to the London Games.

Before reaching the Olympic Stadium at the British capital for the opening ceremony this July, the sacred Light will make an 8,000-mile journey across the country in the hands of some 8,000 torchbearers.