SYDNEY. Sept 8 A 103-year-old World War I veteran who took the Olympic flag as a souvenir when he competed in the 1920 Antwerp Gaines will hand it back this weekend. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch revealed today, reports AFP.

Samaranch said that Harry Prieste, a bronze medal winner in the 10m platform diving event in the Olympics that took place in Belgium, would be travelling to Sydney to return the flag to its rightful owners.

The Antwerp Olympics were the first Games after the Great War. and the first when the Olympic flag was flown.

During the event a flag was raised during competitions at each venue, out it Is believed that the one Prieste took came from the main stadium.

The flag design of five Interlinked rings on a white background. representing the five continents, has remained the same at all subsequent Games. At least one of the five ring colours of blue, yellow, black.

green and red appears in every national flag.

A ceremonial hand-over from one host city to the next takes place at the end of each Olym-

Samaranch was speaking at his first public engagement since arriving in Sydney, attending an International Sen-ice for Peace and Fallen Ohinpians at the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park in the centre of the city.

He unveiled a permanent monument to Olpupians who lost their lives in battle, performing the ceremony tn conjunction with Bob Carr, the premier of New South Wales, tn the presence of Frank Sartor, the mayor of Sydney.