CWG Queens Baton arrives in India amid COVID scare

The Queens Baton for the 22nd Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham this year arrived at the national capital on Monday. The Queens Baton Relay will criss-cross through the national capital (on January 12), Bengaluru (on January 14) and Bhubaneswar (on January 15).

The baton carries a message from Queen Elizabeth II of the UK. The Birmingham Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 to August 8. "The Baton for "QUEENS BATON RELAY", for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Arrived in Delhi on 10th January 2022 and Mr Hamid Director General Bangladesh Olympic Association carried it from Bangladesh," IOA President Narinder Batra said.

The Queens Baton was received at Indira Gandhi International Airport here by Joint Secretary of Indian Olympic Association and chairman of QBR Committee Rakesh Gupta, members Mukesh Kumar and Hariom Kaushik along with Dr Prem Verma, working President of Table Tennis Federation of India and Kuldeep Vats, President of Delhi Olympic Association.

The relay was also scheduled to travel to Ahmedabad on January 13 but that has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It would be held maintaining all COVID-19 protocols of the respective state and central government. The Baton will leave for Singapore on January 16.