New Delhi, which is set to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, will receive the Olympic torch for the first time later this year. The torch, which will travel through 34 cities in 27 countries starting in March, will arrive in New Delhi on June 10 from Beijing and will then leave for Cairo on its way to Athens.

"We hope that this first visit will be a step towards the torch actually resting here in the year 2016," Suresh Kalmadi, the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), told reporters on Monday.

"The coming of the torch will be a historic moment for us. We'll ensure it gets the welcome it deserves."

The summer Olympics will be held in Athens this year and Beijing in 2008. The 2012 hosts will be decided next year.