The Commonwealth Spirit—Queen Baton Relay//S.K. Lau

The tradition of the Queen’s Baton began at the 1958 Cardiff Games in Wales. The message contained within the baton was read aloud at the opening ceremony. The Queen’s baton has become a part of the Commonwealth Games. This baton has within it the Queen’s message of Greeting to the athletes. The baton’s final bearer is usually a famous sporting personage of the host nation.

The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 which began its journey in London on 29th October, 2009, portrays an intricate fusion of ancient and contemporary India with the soil from all parts of India layered on to fabric that covers the helix-shape aluminium case.

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) 2010 Delhi will end 340 days later at the opening ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi on October 3, 2010. During this eleven-months period the baton will cover a distance in excess of 190,000 kilometres and travels across all six regions of the Commonwealth before arriving at the host country where the message is read during the opening ceremony of the Games. The Queen’s Baton Relay 2010 Delhi will be one of the longest relay in history.
Similarity between Olympic Torch and Queen Baton Relay

There is a great similarity between Olympic Torch and Queen Baton Relay. For the former, there is a strict regimen and protocol to be followed. Where the Olympic Torch has to be lit and athletes have to relay its run, the QBR carries a message of the Queen of England embossed on a gold leaf, which personally looks and hands over the game city. The baton is then relayed from Buckingham Palace to the opening ceremony in a rather, relaxed carefree and celebratory mood.