The countdown to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games is well and truly underway with the Olympic torch having arrived in the Brazilian capital Brasilia on May 3. With 92 days remaining for the global sporting extravaganza, Wanja Campos da Ndbrega, Brazil's ambassador to Bangladesh has written an article, outlining the journey of the torch as well as the Olympic spirit while welcoming athletes and tourists of the world to his beautiful country. She writes:

The Rio 2016 Olympics Torch arrived in Brazil on May 3, starting its 90-day journey through more than 300 Brazilian cities as the final countdown begins for the first Games in South America.

Since being lit at the Games' birthplace in Olympia on April 21, the torch has traveled through parts of Greece and Switzerland and arrived by plane in Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil.

In total, the torch will be carried for more than 19,000 kilometres in Brazil, passing through 26 state capitals. Each of the 10,000 bearers will carry the

torch for no more than 300 meters.

The first Brazilian to carry the Rio 2016 flame was two-time Olympic volleyball champion Giovane Gavio, who represented the host nation at the flame-lighting ceremony in Olympia.

The first torchbearer in Brazil will be Fabiana Claudino, also a two-time Olympic volleyball gold medalist and a member of Brazil's current Olympic squad.

The Rio 2016 Olympic Torch is made from recycled aluminium and resin with a satin finish, it weighs only one kilogram and stands 69 centimetres tall when fully opened.

When lit, it expands into five segments with distinct colours, each representing unique features of Brazil, including its landscape, flora, fauna, people and culture.

The golden upper section represents the sun, which shines year-round in most of the country's 27 states and territories.

The intense green represents Brazil's lush vegetation, particularly the Atlantic rainforest that decorates Rio's coastline.

There are two blue sections which

form waves as they open, reflecting the sky and the sea which are synonymous of the Rio’s landscape.

The final segments depict the ground, especially the undulating black and white pattern of Copacabana's famous sidewalk.

The Olympic spirit - Excellence, Friendship and Respect - is represented by the Torch's triangular shape and the Olympic rings represent the five continents of the world.

The Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be held from 5-21 August, and the Paralympic Games will take place on 7-18 September.

The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games promise to be an unforgettable event. These events are planning to be hosted on the stunning Copacabana beach and the opening and closing ceremonies to be held in the emblematic Maracana Soccer Stadium.

The countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games has already started. Brazil welcomes the Bangladeshi and all nations' athletes and tourists to take part in this unforgettable event. The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games are waiting for you.