Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented a model of the Vancouver Winter Olympic Torch to Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar at a special function at Mumbai on Monday.

 

The Winter Olympics will be held at Vancouver, Canada between February 12 and 28, next year.

 

Accepting the torch, Akshay, who will run with the Olympic Torch in Toronto on December 17, said that his heart feels close to Canada, which he has visited many times.

 
"I am happy to be chosen as one of the 14 international bearers of the Olympic Torch," Akshay said at the function held in Hotel Trident-Oberoi.

Akshay, who had dressed up in the official uniform of the Olympic Torch relay, held up the torch model as scores of schoolchildren assembled there clapped and cheered.

Apart from visiting the Chabad House and attending the Olympic Torch function, Harper also interacted with captains of Indian industry at a function in the hotel that was also one of the targets of the 26/11 attacks.