Daniel carries the baton

Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic chief Larry Romany has great expectations for the country in track and field, cycling and swimming at the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.

Romany was among the Olympic Committee (T&TOC) officials who attended yesterday’s cultural show at Lord Harris Square, in Port of Spain, staged to mark the T&T leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay.

The baton contains Queen Elizabeth II’s message to the athletes, which will be removed and read at the October 3 opening ceremony. The relay, which started on October 29 last year, in England, is carrying the baton to all 71 Commonwealth nations. T&T is the 31st stop.

In June, the baton arrives in the 71st nation, India. It will be carried throughout the 2010 Commonwealth Games host country for 100 days, the journey culminating at the opening ceremony, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in New Delhi.

The entire Queen’s Baton Relay will cover more than 190,000 kilometres in 340 days.

Prior to yesterday’s cultural show, the baton was carried to the stage by 2006 Commonwealth Games men’s 50 metres pistol bronze medallist Roger Daniel.

He was accompanied by recently retired hammer thrower Candice Scott, handicapped runner Dwight Yearwood and rugby standout Jenilee Limada.

Both Romany, who is also president of the T&T Commonwealth Games Association (T&TCGA), and Indian High Commissioner to T&T, Malay Mishra, urged Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt to attend the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

T&T Olympic Academy Youth Campers featured prominently in yesterday’s cultural show.

The baton will be in Tobago today.