SINGAPORE: Five people from Singapore will be making Olympic history in China next year and they are not even athletes competing in the Beijing Games.

They are among 7,000 people worldwide who will literally help keep the Olympic spirit burning by taking part in the torch relay.

One of the lucky five torch-bearers from Singapore is Patwant Singh, a Channel NewsAsia sports reporter.

He said: "It's a rare honour and privilege, but more than that, I think it shows that you do not have to be a competitive athlete to be part of the Olympic movement. And besides that, also being part of this historic moment, I'm not representing myself as an individual, but also my organisation and to some extent my country."

Patwant was among those selected by Samsung, which has been sponsoring the Olympic torch relay for years.

Come May 2008, Patwant will travel to China and run the Suzhou leg of the relay.

Patwant is no stranger to the Singapore sports scene. As Channel NewsAsia's sports reporter, he has been tracking the beat for nearly eight years.

He is also familiar with torch relays, having helped carry the Olympic flame in the 2005 Torino Winter Games.

He said that his experience in Italy was a little overwhelming, but to be part of the Beijing Olympics is by far his biggest personal highlight.

He said: "The Beijing Olympics will indeed be one of the most historic and monumental events for this century as far as the Olympics are concerned. So, to be part of it and in such a significant way like this, I definitely think it will be something I'll never forget for the rest of my life."

For now, Patwant will concentrate on conditioning his body for the all-important task.

Besides Patwant, three other torch-bearers from Singapore are the heads of SingTel, StarHub and M1.

The fifth one will be selected next Saturday. - CNA/ir