India welcomes Queen’s Baton at Wagah

Mangalore Today News Network

Amritsar, June 25: Starting the 100-day countdown to this year’s Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay arrived in India from Pakistan through the historic Wagah Border on Friday.  

Chairman of the CWG Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi, received the baton from Pakistan Olympic Association President Lt Gen Syed Arif Hassan at the international border, where the Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell was also present. 

The QBR, which was launched by Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace in London on October 29 last year in the presence of Indian President Pratibha Patil, will now start a 100-day national tour which would culminate in New Delhi for the Games from October 3 to 14.

With this, the baton is nearing the end of its 190,000-km journey, covering 71 nations and territories across the world. 

"It’s a great day for sports in India. The baton has gone 170,000 kms all around the Commonwealth. We have received it in a very big manner," Kalmadi said after passing the baton to a host of dignitaries including CGF CEO Mike Hooper and Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh. 

"It’s a big day for India and Pakistan. It is because of Pakistan’s efforts that India got the Games and it shows that our relationship with Pakistan will improve if we concentrate on the sporting angle," he added. 

Among those to whom the baton was passed on being received at around 0930 hrs at the border, were four-time world champion woman boxer M C Mary Kom. 

Kalmadi once again allayed fears about the delay in infrastructure construction that have marred the build-up to the Games. 

"I am grateful to Mr Fennell and Mr Hooper, who have been supporting us. This also happens to be 100 days before the Games. Let me tell you that everything is in place, including the infrastructure. Everything is on track," he said. 

POA chief Hassan said the Games would help in getting rid of the hostilities between India and Pakistan. 

"It’s a historic moment for us. It would get rid of the hostilities of the past," he said. 

Among others who were present at the relay included Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and a host of top politicians and bureaucrats.

The following will be the Baton Relay itinerary throughout India. :

The QBR will stay overnight at Khalsa Collegiate Senior Secondary School. After overnight stay at Amritsar, the Baton Relay is scheduled to reach Patiala at 1600 hours on June 26 via Jalandhar and Ludhiana. After overnight rest at Patiala, the Baton Relay will start its journey for Hoshiarpur, Pathankot on June 27.

On June 28, the Baton Relay will reach Jammu. After passing through Srinagar

The Baton Relay will reach Chandigarh on July 3 by IC864 at 1310 hours. In relay, the Baton Relay will reach Sector 16 Cricket Stadium where it will stay overnight before entering Himchal Pradesh via Una on July 4 by road .

July 4 : Shimla, July 5 : Dehradun, July 7 Bareilly,  July 8 Lucknow, July 10 Rae Bareli, July 11 Amethi, July 12 Varanasi, July 13 Gaya, July 16 Gangtok, Sikkim, July 19, Guwahati, Assam, July 21, Shillong, Meghalaya, July 25 Kohima, Nagaland, July 30 : Kolkata,  August 5 Ranchi, Jharkhand, August 8 : Bhubaneswar Orissa, August 13 Hyderabad, August 18 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Sept 2 Bengaluru, Sept 7 Panaji, Goa, Sept 11 : Mumbai, Maharashtra, Sept 15 Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Sept 18 Bhopal, MP, Sept 23 Jaipur, Rajasthan, Sept 27 Rohtak, Haryana, Sept 30 : Delhi.PTI