Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, who is performing the functions of President, on Friday evening ceremoniously received the Queen’s Baton at a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller OBE, at her residence.
The baton, which arrived in Guyana from Belize, carries a special message from the Queen to be read at the Commonwealth Games, which commences on July 28 in Birmingham, England. It is part of a tradition called the Queen’s Baton Relay, which started in 1958.
Guyana’s leg officially started on Saturday morning with the baton heading to Linden, before it meanders its way through several communities in Guyana’s hinterland.
Guyanese will run or walk with the baton for short periods of time as it visits the Iwokrama River Lodge, the Canopy Walkway, River View and Annai among other stops.
The Prime Minister noted that the relay would highlight the successes of sport in the country.
“As the baton makes its rounds throughout this country, this will be an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our people in sport and those who are making other important contributions to their communities.”
High Commissioner Miller said that while the baton would traditionally be passed through the streets of Georgetown, taking it to the hinterland on this occasion is symbolic of the diversity of Guyana’s beauty and the preservation of its rainforest.
“Taking the baton through the rainforest is a symbolism of preserving the climate, it’s about climate change and it’s also about the amazing tourism product that Guyana has. So, I think it’s a really appropriate choice that it’s going to be going through the rainforest.”
President of the Guyana Olympic Association, K.A. Juman-Yassin, said: “The Commonwealth Games is known as the friendly Games. And it is the Games where big and small countries from all over the Commonwealth compete and participate. I have been privileged to have gone to a few of these Games, and the atmosphere, the camaraderie is excellent.”
Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa and High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, Mark Berman, along with officials and athletes from the local sport fraternity, were also present for the baton’s official arrival.
Among the national athletes present were Guyana’s lone Olympic medallist, boxer Michael Parris; the country’s most recent Olympians- table tennis player Chelsea Edghill, swimmer Aleka Persaud and boxer Keevin Allicock; former world number 19 ranked squash player Nicolette Fernandes and Paralympic cyclist Walter Grant-Stuart.
Guyana is the 46th stop for the baton, which left Buckingham Palace on October 7, 2021. It will journey across all 72 Commonwealth nations and territories.
A brief history
The 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay is an epic journey covering the entirety of the Commonwealth as it will travel to all 72 nations and territories, covering a distance of 140,000 kilometres.
For 269 days, the Baton will travel to Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and the Americas, before it embarks on the final stretch of its journey across England for 25 days.
The Queen’s Baton Relay will complete its journey at the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on July 28, 2022. This is a traditional and fundamental part of the Games and the Opening Ceremony, as the final Batonbearer will pass the Baton back to The Queen.
The Queen’s message to the Commonwealth will then be removed from the Baton and read aloud, marking the official start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
For further information about the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay visit:
www.birmingham2022.com/qbr
