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Falklands Sports Council launches competition to design Glasgow Games Baton

“We are looking for artists to give us some designs, what they think they could put on the baton, either with paints, textiles, wood burning,” Ms Chater says

The run-up to the Commonwealth Games has officially begun in the Falkland Islands, with plans for a King’s Baton Relay revealed by the National Sports Council. In previous years, one baton has travelled around the whole Commonwealth but this time each nation has received their own blank baton.

Vicky Chater, the Falklands Chef de Mission for the Commonwealth 2026 Games explained that the Islands National Sports Council has now launched a competition to allow community members to submit their ideas for decoration of the wooden baton.

“We are looking for artists to give us some designs, what they think they could put on the baton, either with paints, textiles, wood burning, really any media that they think they will stay on the wood. Baton has three sides and there is a few words and logos like the Commonwealth Sports, Falkland Islands written on it, --and our keyword which is to be avoided--, but on the other the whole baton can be decorated in whatever way they want. The keyword on our baton is Family, and each of those words are going to come together when the opening at ceremony in Glasgow, and all the batons basically spelling-out part of the King’s message to the Commonwealth.”

The main thing is to create something that is undeniably from the Falkland Islands. “Something that show-cases the Falklands, culture, wildlife, plant life, history, heritage, national pride, sporting achievements; it does not need to have all those things, but certainly those are things we are looking for”.

This could mean picking three themes from one artist if they have a really complete set that works together, but also pick one from one artist, one form another..., which Ms. Charter said “will be just pieced together in the best way we can”

Finally the other part of the commitment of the Games is sustainability and working with the environment, in such a way that every nation has to do a plastic pick-up event, during their King’s bat relay at home country. The aim of 2026 Commonwealth Sports is to clean one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways, “in such a way that we are trying to make a benefit to the environment, rather than a cost to the environment across the Commonwealth Games.”

The Glasgow multi-sport competition is scheduled to take place from 23 July to 2 August 2026, with 3,000 athletes from 74 nations, in what is considered the most important athletic event after World Olympics.