Lenovo announces Olympic Torchbearers

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Today Lenovo , a global leader in the PC market, announced the names of its torchbearers who will run for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, in New Delhi on April 17, 2008. All six torchbearers have been selected, based on the extraordinary results they have achieved in a particular field.

 

In keeping with Lenovo's Olympic ideals, namely New Thinker, Explorer, or a Bridge builder, each torchbearer was nominated based on certain criteria they met. All six torchbearers have demonstrated innovation in their respective fields and have built bridges across geographic, ethnic, demographic differences, keeping in line with the Olympic Games and Lenovo's spirit of multicultural, collaborative and competitive.

 

"As a worldwide partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, we are very excited to bring torchbearer opportunities to new thinkers around the world," said Amar Babu, Managing Director, Lenovo India. "We see the Olympic Torch Relay as a significant opportunity to further introduce and showcase the Lenovo brand to the world. 'New thinkers' are those that embody our company's philosophy and share in our global vision. As a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay and TOP sponsor of Beijing Olympic Games, Lenovo is celebrating the power of the Olympics by honoring these individuals who embody the Olympic Spirit & motivate their peers and communities. We plan to honor them globally."

 

The six torchbearers are Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan, both actors as well as Lenovo Brand Ambassadors, tennis player Leander Paes, top corporate executives Subramanian Ramadorai and Jaishankar Krishnan, and orthopaedic surgeon Vaibhav Bagaria.

 

For the first time in India, a layman, Vaibhav Bagaria has been given an opportunity to run the Olympic torch relay in New Delhi. The Nagpur-based orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Vaibhav Bagaria was nominated as India's most innovative thinker in a Torchbearer search programme conducted in October 2007. Out of the 400 nominations Lenovo received, Dr. Bagaria was adjudged the winner, based on his admirable work and selfless attitude towards life.

 

Subramanian Ramadorai was selected as the Olympic Torchbearer for his global leadership and vision in software services. Ramadorai, who has spent 35 years in the software and services field, also is the recipient of the UK Trade and Investment Special Recognition Award by Prime Minister Tony Blair in September 2005 for TCS' exemplary contribution to India - UK economic ties. Lenovo recognizes his contribution towards putting India on the global map.

 

One of the most prolific minds in India's service sector, Jaishankar Krishnan's exemplary contribution in improving fundamental IT distribution services has made him Lenovo's choice of an Olympic Torchbearer. Krishnan continues to drive a sector that is powered by changes in technology and supply chains. He is a keen sports enthusiast and an ardent fan of track and field events.

 

Soha Ali Khan, Bollywood actress and Lenovo's brand ambassador has been selected for her significant contribution to Indian cinema. A youth icon and a widely acclaimed actress, Soha' s performances in movies like Rang De Basanti, Khoya Khoya Chand, Dil Mange More, Ahista Ahista, Antar Mahal (Bengali) have earned her considerable repute. An Oxford University graduate in International Relations, Soha represents the modern Indian woman of the 21^st century.

 

Leander Paes brings an ideal dimension to the torchbearers selected by Lenovo with his  tennis achievements. Appearing in his fifth Olympic Games, he has seven Grand Slam victories and several memorable Davis Cup performances to his name. While in India, he supports an orphanage in Kolkata and is planning a program to encourage sportsmanship among the Indian middle class.

 

Saif Ali Khan, Lenovo's brand ambassador and a reputed Bollywood actor, was selected for his versatility and iconic contribution to Indian cinema. In the past two decades, Saif has won several accolades such as the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award and the coveted National Film Award for Best Actor for Parineeta. Saif devotes substantial time to social causes, and has, in the past contributed to the 'HELP!' concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

 

Lenovo's six torchbearers have gone that extra mile and disregarded traditional boundaries to carry out a great and challenging endeavour. They think 'outside the box' outside of national and cultural limitations and constantly seek new ways of doing and achieving.

 

The New Delhi relay will see torchbearers carrying the Lenovo-designed Olympic torch 'Cloud of Promise'. BOCOG selected Lenovo's design, "Cloud of Promise", over 300 competitors, affirming that the same skill Lenovo employs to develop its award-winning computer designs can be applied successfully to other types of products as well. Inspired by the shape of a traditional Chinese scroll and fashioned with materials selected to emulate the unique sensation of one hand holding another, the torch that will carry the flame around the world and throughout China for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is unlike any of its predecessors. Relying on the same design process used to engineer Lenovo PCs, 10 members of the award-winning Lenovo Design Center worked for more than 10 months on the design and technical details of the torch, seeking to infuse it with symbols of both Chinese culture and the spirit of the Olympic Games. The "Cloud of Promise," a torch that in every way - color, shape, decoration and texture - reflects the traditions and history of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and its host nation.

 

The official torch lighting will take place in Olympia, Greece, in March. The torch will travel to 21 cities in five continents including London, Paris, San Francisco, Canberra, New Delhi, and Nagano, followed by Hong Kong and Macau, before spending 97 days in Mainland China to arrive at its final destination in Beijing on August 8, 2008, marking the start of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

 

During the 2008 Games, a large number of applications will be running on Lenovo equipment, including Games Management Systems; staffing and scheduling; accreditation; transportation; sports entries and qualifications; timing and scoring; ticketing; Lenovo Internet lounges in the athlete villages and more. Many of these systems will need to be duplicated in seven different cities - Beijing, Hong Kong, Dalian, Qingdao, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao and Shanghai - with systems in place to control all venues remotely. In total, Lenovo will be providing approximately 20,000 pieces of computing equipment for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The two primary personal computers that make up the Olympic Games IT infrastructure will be the ThinkPad T60 notebook PC and the Kaitian KTS 660A desktop.

 

Sourced From: Sampark Public Relations Pvt Ltd