The Queen’s Baton Relay took place in Anguilla on Thursday and Friday of last week. The team escorting the baton arrived from St Kitts on Wednesday evening (29th June), spent the night at Zemi Beach Hotel and arrived at the Governor’s Office at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday morning where Governor Christina Scott welcomed the team and other officials. It is a very impressive baton with lots of features.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is a relay around the world prior to the Commonwealth Games scheduled for the Gold Coast, Australia, in April 2018.
President of the Anguilla Commonwealth Games Association, Kenn Banks, introduced the five members of the team from the Gold Coast. He said this was the fourth baton that Anguilla has received, noting that it creates a lot of excitement among the young athletes on the island – and the association is making sure that as many young people as possible get an opportunity to touch the baton.
Sandra Osbourne from Barbados is the representative accompanying the team while touring the Caribbean. She said she was pleased to be accompanying the team noting that the Games celebrate the diversity of the Commonwealth. She said that the baton had already been through Africa and now the Caribbean and then will go on to the Americas and Asia before arriving in Australia. It will have travelled to 70 countries during 388 days and a distance of 230,000 kilometres.
Kate Shaw, the Media Liaison for the team, showed the various features of the baton. She said the back is made of macadamia wood that grows in the Gold Coast and the front is made from reclaimed plastic items from the sea. The centre is LED and the colour changes continuously representing the boundless energy of the Gold Coast and its warmth and spirit. The baton contains the Queen’s message – that will be read at the opening of the Games on April 4, 2018 – as well as the name of each country it is visiting along the side. She said that the aim is for as many people as possible to hold, see, touch or run with the baton.
Minister of Sports, Evans McNiel Rogers, thanked the association for the wonderful job it was doing. He said he was pleased that Anguilla could host the baton again and was looking forward to attending the Games. Twelve athletes and five officials from Anguilla will be funded by the Commonwealth Games Federation to attend the Games.
General Secretary of the Commonwealth Games Association in Anguilla, Althea Hodge, introduced athletes who will be attending the Commonwealth Youth Games in The Bahamas towards the end of this month. They are Colin Richardson – Boxing; Xander Vasilis – tennis; Jamai Bryan and Xavi Brooks – cycling; and T-Kailah – track and field. The team will be accompanied by Heather Richardson, team leader, and Timothy Richardson, coach.
