The countdown is on and in just a few days, the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay will arrive in Guyana, the 46th destination out of the 72 Common-wealth nations and territories it will be visiting.
On Friday, President of the Guyana Olympic Association/Commonwealth Games Association, Kalam Azad Juman-Yassin will officially welcome the Baton.
“I am delighted that Guyana is a part of this extraordinary journey. It’s a way to highlight and promote the beauty of Guyana to people across the Common-wealth,” said GOA president Yassin.
According to a press release, a busy schedule of activities and events have been planned for the Queen’s Baton Relay, with opportunities to showcase untold stories from Baton bearers, athletes, and young people who are striving for change in their community.
“During it’s time in Guyana, the Queen’s Baton Relay will visit Linden, Iwokrama River Lodge, River View and Annai and will experience historical locations in Region 10, the Canopy Walkway and the beauty of our hinterland areas and people,” the release stated.
The Queen’s Baton will be carried by representatives of UNICEF and the British High Commission, athletes, school children and several persons in the indigenous communities.
The Queen’s Baton will arrive here having previously visited Belize.
Since its inaugural appearance at the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay has been a tradition for the Commonwealth Games.
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay started at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021, when Her Majesty, The Queen, placed Her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to four-time Paralympic gold medallist and Team England athlete Kadeena Cox, who had the honour of being the first of thousands of Batonbearers to carry the Baton.
The Region 10 Regional Chairman and Local Organising Committee Member, Deron Adams said, “We are looking forward to celebrating the arrival of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay in our community and are well on track with our planning for the occasion. Everyone here is excited to get involved with the festivities and to cheer on the Baton bearers.”
The 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay is an epic journey covering the entirety of the Commonwealth as it will travel to all 72 nations and territories, covering a distance of 140,000 kilometres. For 269 days, the Baton will travel to Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and the Americas, before it embarks on the final stretch of its journey across England for 25 days.
The Queen’s Baton Relay will complete its journey at the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on 28 July 2022. This is a traditional and fundamental part of the Games and the Opening Ceremony, as the final Batonbearer will pass the Baton back to The Queen. The Queen’s message to the Commonwealth will then be removed from the Baton and read aloud, marking the official start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
