Commonwealth Games: Queen’s Baton rally organized in Delhi

The Queen's Baton Relay (QBR) of the XIXth Commonwealth Games was carried out in a rally here today.

Suresh Kalmadi, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, held the baton and walked down Rajpath.

Kalmadi said that it was a special moment for the country as it prepares for one of the most extravagant sport events.

"I am feeling very proud about the baton. It's come all the way from London till here, covering a distance of 190,000 kilometers without a blemish. People have organised it very well. I must be thankful to them," said Kalmadi.

The band of the Indian Armed Forces welcomed the Queen's Baton by playing patriotic tunes at the venue.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a gold medallist at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, said that he expects the country's athletes to bring a number of medals home.

"Now when everything is under control, there are positive reports about the Games. No doubt, the Games would be good, and our athletes will win a lot of medals," said Rathore.

On Saturday, it will visit Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib and St Columba's School.

The Queen's Baton will reach Games Village at 10.55 am where it will be on display for 45 minutes. It will then be taken on a trip to monuments like Akshardham Temple, Rajghat, Red Fort and Jama Masjid.

The journey would conclude at the CWG main venue Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the event opens on Sunday.

The 1.9 lakh-km-long QBR's journey across 71 countries will culminate on October 3 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium before the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.

The Queen's Baton Relay is a torch race symbolising the unity and shared ideals of the Commonwealth of nations. It carries a message from the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, currently Queen Elizabeth II of the UK.

The baton has the ability to capture images and sound as it travels throughout the nations of the Commonwealth. With Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, it can be tracked through exact location.