For the first time in history hundreds stood witness to the prestigious event at which Bollywood superstar and renowned action hero, Akshay Kumar, received the sacred Olympic Torch from the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, at an inaugural event in Mumbai. Akshay was presented with the honour of becoming the Indian Ambassador for the 2010 Olympic Games in Canada and was introduced by the Prime Minister as the sole torch-bearer from India and the only actor in the list of prominent torch-bears from across the globe.
Not only was it the first time an Olympic Torch has been presented to an ambassador within his country of residence, but Akshay was the sole star representing the global entertainment industry. Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, also presented Akshay with the uniform of the torch relay for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic games.
Akshay Kumar is just one of 15 international celebrities to have been invited to Canada to participate in carrying the Olympic Torch. Historically, Ontario is notorious for having only one global celebrity representing the world and this year it has rightly been passed on to the deeply honoured and proud Akshay, who will be running with the Olympic Torch in Toronto on the 17th December.
In response to receiving the Torch Akshay said, “I cannot even begin to describe it. I felt so truly honoured and lucky, it’s such a huge thing and to be recognized like that is just surreal!”
Renowned for his passion for martial arts, adrenaline sports and Parkour, Akshay Kumar is also one of the World Ambassadors for the Special Olympics, alongside other international stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Colin Farrell and Vanessa Williams.
