NEW DELHI: The beleaguered Beijing Olympic torch will make a short sanitised run in the Capital on Thursday with the fine print of the heavily guarded relay shrouded in secrecy.

Plagued by disruptions in London, Paris and San Francisco, the Olympic flame will be carried by 70 celebrities, including 47 sportspersons, after it arrives from Pakistan amid multi-layered security in the heart of the Capital.

With the threat of Tibetan protests looming large, the Rajpath and adjoining roads will be sealed and out of bounds for public for six hours from 1 PM.

The torch, watched by 20 Chinese commandos in one of the most sensitive stretches of the global run of the flame, will have a truncated run of 2.3 kms from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.

Earlier in the day, Sachin Tendulkar opted out of the event due to his groin injury.

IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said the torch relay would take place sometime in the afternoon but revealed precious little. He parried questions by newsmen when specific details were sought.

"IOA has chosen 47 sportspersons, while 18 have been nominated by official partners. Besides, China will have five torch-bearers tomorrow," Kalmadi told reporters here on Wednesday.

Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Sagarika Ghatge and sportspersons like P T Usha, Milkha Singh and Leander Paes and Anju Bobby George will be among others who will lend their hands to the torch.

Source : PTI