XVIII Commonwealth Games-Queen’s Baton to relay here from June 4 to 9 |28 May 2005

Expected to arrive on Saturday June 4 from neighbouring Mauritius, the Queen’s Baton will visit different places on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue before heading for Tanzania via Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday June 9 to continue its African leg of the journey.

On Monday June 6 on La Digue, the Queen’s baton will be carried in ox-carts and on bicycles to beautiful spots like Anse Source d’Argent and l’Union.

Schoolchildren of Baie Ste Anne and Grand Anse schools on Praslin will welcome the Queen’s Baton on Tuesday June 7 before it returns to Mahe on the same day.

The Queen’s baton will go round Mahe on Wednesday June 8 and there will be special welcome ceremonies at the Beau Vallon, Pointe Larue, Anse Royale and Anse Boileau schools.

Seychelles is the 21st country to host the baton and the whole world can view the baton’s journey via the internet.

This is thanks to two tiny cameras mounted in the baton that transmit footage of the relay to the website: www.melbourne2006.com.au

The Queen’s Baton Relay has been the curtain-raiser to every edition of the Commonwealth Games since 1958 in Cardiff, Wales. It symbolises the gathering of people from across the Commonwealth at the four-yearly festival of sports and culture.

The ongoing relay started with a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London, on March 14, 2005 and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II entrusted the baton containing her message to the athletes safely enclosed in a memory chip to the first honourary relay runner.

Supermodel Elle Macpherson, Australian sporting star Cathy Freeman, and UK sporting stars Dame Kelly Holmes and Amir Khan carried the baton along The Mall on that day.

The relay will conclude at the Games’ opening ceremony with the final relay runner handing the baton back to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II who will read her message to all athletes present and officially open the Games on the evening of March 15, 2006.

Queen Elizabeth II will be accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen’s Baton Relay for next year’s XVIII Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, is the longest, travelling more than 180,000 kilometres and visiting all 71 nations of the Commonwealth in one year and a day.

Melbourne will host the Games from Mach 15 to 26 next year.

G. G.