Queen's Baton Relay on Sunday

The Queen's Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games is all set to pass through Mangalore on September 5.

Addressing a press conference here, Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj said that the relay team would arrive at Nellyadi, Puttur taluk, at 12.30 p.m. on September 5 from Hassan. District in-charge Minister J. Krishna Palemar, zilla panchayat president K. Santhosh Kumar Bhandary and former international sportspersons Sanjeeva Puttur and Pushparaj Hegde would welcome the team at Nellyadi, he said.

Later, the relay team would be escorted to Kadri Park here from where the relay would begin at 5.30 p.m. Mayor of Mangalore Rajani Dugganna would hand over the baton to recipients of the Arjuna Award Vandana Rao, Vandana Shanbagh and Shobha Narayana, he said.

Mr. Ponnuraj appealed to the people to participate in the event in large numbers and offer a warm welcome to the team at Kadri. “Since it will be a Sunday, a large number of people can participate in the programme. It is a matter of prestige for the district,” he said.

Commissioner of Police Seemanth Kumar Singh said that the police would cordon off from the morning the area through which the relay team would pass.

The relay team would proceed towards the Town Hall via Bejai Church Road, Lalbagh, PVS Circle, Ambedkar Circle, and Hampankatta. On the way, the baton would change hands at 20 points identified by the district administration. The district administration will be organising five cultural programmes and hosting a dinner for the team at the Town Hall, Mr. Ponnuraj said.