The Queen's Baton Relay arrives in Mysore

The Queen's Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games arrived in Mysore from Kekkanahalli Check Post, Charamarajanagar on the Tamil Nadu/Karnataka border on Wednesday evening.

The QBR passed through Bandipur, Gundulpet, Nanjangud and finally arrived at Mysore, receiving a rousing welcome by the District Administration at the Mysore Palace Balarama gate.

The District In-charge Minister, Suresh Kumar received the QBR and balloons were let off in the sky to mark the occasion. The Queen's baton relay was first handed over by the District In-charge Minster to Olympian boxer and Arjuna Award winner C.C.Machaiah who ran 100m with the baton.

Cheering on

Thousands of school children cheered the QBR on the 5.2 km route. The Games mascot ‘Shera' was taken in an open jeep and was cheered by the public and the school-children throughout the route.

Well-known sportspersons like Seetharam (1982 Asian Games bronze medal winner in Marathon), Poojashree Venkatesh (Indian woman's tennis player), Girish A Koushik (former World U-10 chess champion), Boppanna (former Indian hockey player), Damodar Gowda, Somashekar, Sridevi, Nagendra Prasad (all Indian athletes), P.G. Chengappa (Badminton) Pappanna Narashima (Football), R. Nagaraj (Tennis), Srikanta Rao (Roller skating), Varsha S. Puranik (Roller Skating), M.S. Thejkumar (Chess), Aditya B. Sagar (Cricket), Lohit M. Urs (Motor racing) were amongst the runners.

The QBR will proceed to Bangalore on Thursday. Cultural programmes were held at the Mysore Palace entrance.