Soha Ali Khan to skip Olympic torch relay

As you probably know and have read, there have been many protests and lots of controversy surrounding the Olympic Torch Relay for the Beijing Olympics this year. For the Indian portion of the relay, three Bollywood stars were among the ones chosen to participate. Of the three, Aamir Khan and Saif Ali Khan are still going to take part but Saif’s sister Soha has decided not to carry the Olympic torch.
Significantly, Soha’s decision came on a day when the new Sports Minister M S Gill said he was not in favor of stars or politicians to be associated with the relay on Thursday and those only real athletes should carry the torch.Soha said, “I was honoured to be selected as a torch bearer, unfortunately for some very strong personal reasons I can’t run with the torch on the 17th which I am very sad about. But I do endorse the torch relay, it is an institution that has existed since the 30s and I am huge fan of the Olympics. It is sad the violence that is happening during the torch relay and of course the violence that is happening in Tibet but I really support the torch relay and the motto behind the Olympics.”
On suggestions from Sports fraternity that only sportspersons should run the Olympic torch relay, Soha said representatives from various fields belonging to the country through which torch relay passes, should be welcomed to run.Saif and Aamir, will each do a leg of the relay when the Olympic torch reaches New Delhi on April 17th