QUEEN’S BATON 2010 DELHI TO ARRIVE IN 14 DAYS.

In just 14 days, the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi will arrive from the Isle of Man, the 4th Commonwealth Territory of its 71 Commonwealth destinations. Jersey will provide an integral link when it welcomes the Baton as it travels on one of the world’s longest relays in history. Today the Baton is currently travelling throughout England.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is the traditional curtain raiser to the Commonwealth Games and has been an inclusion in the games programme since the Cardiff 1958 Commonwealth Games in Wales. The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi commenced from Buckingham Palace on Thursday 29th October 2009, with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II entrusting the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi to Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic Gold medallist and world champion air rifle shooter – the first of many thousands of Batonbearers to carry the Baton around the globe. Also included in the group of 14 runners at Buckingham Palace were Lord Sebastian Coe, England cricketer Monty Panesar, and Dame Kelly Holmes.

The Bailiff of Jersey, Mr. Michael Birt said, “I am delighted that Jersey has been granted the honour of hosting the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi, bringing with it the opportunity to highlight and promote our Island via the accompanying media attention.”

Alan Cross, Secretary General to the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey said “planning is already well under way to celebrate the arrival of the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi in our community. We look forward to seeing many locals join in the festivities and turn out to cheer on the relay’s batonbearers. For example, along with a relay involving past and present athletes, the baton will visit all local schools and many sports venues. The Baton will be launched on its travels in Jersey at 8.30 p.m. on Thursday 19th November 2009 by the Lieutenant Governor, General Andrew Ridgway from the steps of Government House It will be officially welcomed to St. Helier at the Town Hall at lunchtime on Friday 20th November 2009 by Connetable Simon Crowcroft and then officially welcomed to Jersey at 1.00 p.m. in the Bailiff’s Chambers by Jersey’s Bailiff, Michael Birt. This will be followed at 1.20 p.m. by a static display of the Baton in the Royal Square. Details of the exact route of the Baton during the two day visit i.e. Thursday/Friday 19th/20th November 2009, are available on the local Commonwealth Games Association’s website.

As part of its epic journey, the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi will traverse the length and breadth of the Commonwealth visiting all 71 nations of the Commonwealth covering 190,000 kilometers 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 where the Baton will spend its last 100 days on a national tour of India.

The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi will conclude in Jawaharial Nehru Stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi on 3rd October 2010. During the ceremony, the final Batonbearer will hand the Baton to Her Majesty, or Her representative, the message is then removed and read aloud, officially opening the Games.

For further information about the Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi contact www.cwgdelhi2010.org

> Click Here for Day 1 Baton Schedule

> Click Here for Day 2 Baton Schedule

The Queen's Baton Relay

The Queen’s Baton Relay, the Commonwealth Games equivalent of
the Olympic Torch, will be visiting Jersey for two days next November
as part of its journey around all 71 Commonwealth Countries. The
Baton will officially start its journey at Buckingham Palace on
Thursday 29th October 2009 when Her Majesty, The Queen, will hand
the high tech baton to one of the most successful athletes from the
2006 Melbourne Games. The Baton will then spend three weeks in the
UK before being flown to Jersey from the Isle of Man. It is due to arrive
in Jersey late on Wednesday 18th November 2009 and will leave for
Guernsey early on Sunday 22nd November 2009. A two day
programme of visits to schools, sports clubs and community events
has been arranged to provide a wide cross-section of the Jersey public
with an opportunity to see, and in many cases, handle the baton before
it leaves our shores. The final leg of the Relay, after the baton has
visited 71 countries throughout the six Commonwealth Games
Federation’s regions, will be into the Jawaharial Nehru Stadium, Delhi
on Saturday 3rd October 2010, at the time of the Opening Ceremony of
the 19th Commonwealth Games when it will be returned to HRH Queen
Elizabeth Il.

There will be an opportunity for members of the Jersey public to see
the Baton at close quarters during a short static display in the Royal
Square from approximately 1.10pm to 1.30pm on Friday 20th
November 2009. Further information on the Baton’s two day schedule
of visits can be obtained by contactin Alan Cross, Secretary General
to the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey on Tel. 742254 or
email on alan.cross@cgaj.org.

Click the links below to see the official pages about the Baton.

Information for the Jersey Media dated 23rd February 2005

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR)

The Baton will commence its journey around the 71 Commonwealth Countries at its Official Launch by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day, Monday 14th March 2005. The President of the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey (CGAJ), Mr. Martin Hebden, will attend the Launch.

The Baton will be in Jersey for a 2 day period i.e. Wednesday and Thursday 13th/14th April 2005.

A programme for celebrating the Baton’s visit to Jersey has nearly been finalised and will be published nearer the date of the visit. The schedule will, however, include early morning events starting at St. Catherine’s Breakwater and Corbiere Lighthouse; early evening events based at the FB Athletic’s Track and the Les Quennevais Cycle Track for all CGAJ member sports; parading the Baton in St. Helier on Wednesday (5.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.) and on Thursday lunchtime; involvement of a representative groups of children from all Jersey’s educational establishments; and symbolic welcoming of the Baton by all Parish Constables and the Bailiff of Jersey.

The design and technological features of the Baton reflects the relay’s efforts to showcase the diversity of the Commonwealth and unite its communities in the celebration of the XVIII Commonwealth Games which will take place in Melbourne from 15th to 26th March 2006. The high-tech Baton’s tracking technology housed in the Baton will enable schoolchildren, adults, families and friends to pinpoint the Baton’s whereabouts live on the internet. It will also house an elegant memory chip of Her Majesty’s message to the athletes from Buckingham House to the Opening Ceremony.

For more information and to follow the Baton’s epic journey online, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.melbourne2006.com.au" www.melbourne2006.com.au. For more information about the Commonwealth Games Association of Jersey and the latest information regarding Jersey’s preparations for the Baton’s arrival and the M2006 Games, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.cgaj.org" www.cgaj.org.

The Association’s Gala Dinner at the L’Horizon Hotel
on the evening of Thursday 14th April 2005.

The Dinner will celebrate the conclusion of the 2 day visit of the Baton to Jersey and will be attended by three of its escort from Melbourne plus the Commonwealth Games Federation’s European Vice President, Mr. Ian Emmerson OBE.

The Association’s Patron, the Bailiff of Jersey, Sir Philip Bailhache, will also be a special guest for the evening.

A special celebrity guest from the world of Olympic/Commonwealth Sport will also attend and the name of this celebrity will be announced later.

The Guests will welcome the Baton into the Dining Room on its final leg of its journey around Jersey. This honour will be given to the team of 8 young Jersey competitors that performed so well in the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games. The Baton will be returned to the escorts for its onward journey to the UK by our two medallists at those Games, Daniel Halksworth (1 gold and 1 silver medal in swimming events) and Lauren Therin (2 bronze medals in javelin and discus events)

The Dinner will be attended by members of those sports affiliated to the local Association and be one of two major fund raising events in the build-up to Jersey’s involvement in the Melbourne 2006 Games.

Further enquiries concerning the Dinner can be made to Michelle Ryan on tel. 872360 or by email on HYPERLINK "mailto:michelle.ryan@hsbcpb.com" michelle.ryan@hsbcpb.com