Games symbol heading to CI

(CNS): The Queen’s Baton and symbol of the Commonwealth Games will arrive in the Cayman Islands later this month as part of its epic journey to the host city of Delhi in India before the games begin in October.  The baton also carries a message to the athletes from Buckingham Palace which will be delivered at the opening ceremony for the Games. The baton relay is a curtain raiser for the games which was first introduced at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games in Wales. Since then it has become a much loved games tradition generating excitement and building anticipation across the Commonwealth.

Donald McLean, the President of the Cayman Islands National Olympic Committee which represents the Commonwealth Games Federation in the Cayman Islands said he is delighted the Cayman Islands will be hosting the baton. “The Cayman Islands leg of the relay has the potential to be watched by millions of people from all over the world, thanks to the baton’s interactive web based technologies and the media attention it is expected to generate. Our involvement in this exciting event provides the entire community with the opportunity to highlight and promote our Islands to the rest of the world,” he said.

McLean explained that Cayman will be the forty fourth country of the list of 71 to be visited. The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi is one of the longest relays in history travelling 190,000 kilometres over a 340 day period. The baton containing the Queen’s message left Buckingham Palace on Thursday 29 October 2009, to traverse the length and breadth of the Commonwealth for 240 days visiting all of the other 70 Commonwealth nations, before entering India. The baton will then continue its journey throughout India for another 100 days, making its way to the Opening Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi to be held on 3 October 2010.

During the ceremony, the final Baton bearer will hand the baton back to Her Majesty, or Her representative, the message is then removed and read aloud, officially opening the Games.

Mike Fennell, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation said, “In the wake of recent global events, the relay extends an important message of hope and community to the broader Commonwealth family.”

The international sector for the Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi is a joint initiative of the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi in partnership with the Commonwealth Games Federation and locally with the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee.

For further information about the Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi visit: www.cwgdelhi2010.org