Queen’s Baton to start India leg relay on Friday morning

After a crossing 70 countries, 1,70,000 km and 240 days, the Queen’s baton relay for the XIX Commonwealth Games will reach India on Friday.

After a crossing 70 countries, 1,70,000 km and 240 days, the Queen’s baton relay for the XIX Commonwealth Games will reach India on Friday. The baton will enter India from Pakistan through the Wagah-Attari border on June 25 at 9.25 am. After a grand ceremony, the baton’s national relay will be kicked off. The theme of the event is Friendship through sports.

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The baton will visit all 28 States and seven UTs of India over the next 100 days. More than 5,000 baton bearers will relay it across 200 cities and thousands of villages using all modes of transport over land, air and sea.

“This is the longest Queen’s baton relay ever in the history of Commonwealth Games,” said OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi.

At the Indo-Pak border, Pakistan Olympics Association president Syed Arif Hassan will hand over the baton to Kalmadi.

Kalmadi appreciated Pakistan’s role in India’s successful bid for the Games. “Pakistan championed our cause as we and Canada were locked in a two-way battle for the hosting rights,” he said.

After a relay throughout the country, the baton will arrive in Delhi on September 30.

After a three-day relay in the capital, the baton will be docked at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during the opening ceremony.

Kalmadi said a young sports icon will be the brand ambassador for the October 3 to 14 sporting event and not a Bollywood celebrity.