Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi arrives to fanfare in Belize City

The Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi arrived to fanfare from Bahamas at the Phillip Goldson International Airport in Belize on Wednesday. Belize is the 47th country the Queen’s Baton has been to since the relay was launched at the Buckingham Palace on October 29. It is due to leave Belize on Friday for Bermuda after which it will travel to Canada.

According to The Belize Guardian, 10 members of Belize’s national cycling team hoisted the 2kg Baton high and in a scorching afternoon heat proudly led a motorcade as they rode with it from the Airport to the Stella Maris School on Princess Margaret Drive.

After a short ceremony on the Stella Maris Campus, cyclist Byron Pope handed the Queen’s Baton 2010 Delhi to Michael Graham who won gold in the 200m race in the 2008 Special Olympics. Graham in turn handed it to Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers. She accepted it and said the Baton represents the heritage shared by Commonwealth countries.

“It is an honour for me to be handed over the Baton simply because this is a very prestigious event. It is an event that brings together all the Commonwealth countries. It is a camaraderie that we share, all of us speaking English in terms of all of us having a history and we share a lot in common,” she said.

On Thursday afternoon, the Mayor will formally hand the baton to Minister of Sports, Information, and Broadcasting Mr. Elvin Penner after a parade through the streets. It heads to Belmopan on April 9. On its way, it will stop briefly at the Youth Hostel at Mile 21. Thereafter, in Belmopan it will be presented to Mayor Simeon Lopez. Athletes will then relay it to the Governor General Sir Colville Young and British High Commissioner Patrick Ashworth.

Belize will be sending a contingent of 18 athletes to the Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi that will be held from October 3 to 14.