MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands receives Queen’s baton rally 2010 Delhi in mid February

The baton is currently in Botswana and is scheduled to leave for Windhoek, Namibia this week

On Monday 15th February, the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi will arrive in the Falkland Islands from Ascension Island. The baton is currently in Botswana and will arrive via Tristan da Cuhna and St Helena the 29th of its 71 Commonwealth destinations.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is the traditional curtain raiser to the Commonwealth Games and has been an inclusion in the programme since Cardiff in 1958, though this is only the second time it has visited all 71 Commonwealth nations.

The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi commenced from Buckingham Palace on Thursday 29 October 2009, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II entrusting it to Abhinav Bindra, Indian Air Rifle Champion – the first of many thousands of Batonbearers to carry the baton around the globe.

Governor of the Falkland Islands, Alan Huckle and Member of the Legislative Assembly, Jan Cheek said “We are delighted that The Falkland Islands has been granted the honour of hosting the Queens’s Baton 2010 Delhi, bringing with it the opportunity to highlight and promote the Falklands with substantial media attention”

The Queen’s Baton will traverse the length and breadth of the Commonwealth covering 190,000 kilometres in 340 days. Whilst spreading the message of goodwill on its way to the “Friendly Games”, the baton will spend 240 days travelling throughout Europe, Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Oceania and Asia and the last 100 days on a national tour of India.

The Relay will conclude in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games on 3 October 2010. During the ceremony, the final Baton-bearer will hand the baton back to Her Majesty and her message will be read out, officially opening the Games.

The FIOGA Baton Relay Organiser, Steve Dent said “Planning is already well under way to celebrate the arrival of the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi in the Falklands. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible join in the festivities and turn out to cheer on the relay’s Batonbearers.”

“A special welcome ceremony is planned on Tuesday 16th February at 6.00 pm to officially mark the arrival of the baton in The Falkland Islands, as the baton makes its way along the Government House drive, all are welcome to come along and cheer the Baton and its baton bearers.”

This will be preceded by a relay through the streets of Stanley involving past and present athletes and community groups. The baton will also visit Volunteer Point, local schools and sporting facilities, the Mount Pleasant Complex, Goose Green, The North Camp and the West Falklands including an evening reception at Fox Bay.

FIOGA Chairman Mike Summers said “FIOGA hope that as many people and community and sporting groups as possible can become involved in the relay. The Relay route within Stanley is very short and there are lots of opportunities for groups, individuals, the young to the not so young”.