Montserrat is gearing up to host its leg of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay.
The Relay began on October 7, 2021, with Her Majesty the Queen placing her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton. The Relay is a precursor to the Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 28 to August 8, 2022, in Birmingham, UK.
Head of the Montserrat Commonwealth Games Association Bruce Farara said this is the fourth time that the island will be part of this international event. He added that Montserrat will be sending a team of five athletes to the games.
“The athletes will be revealed next week as they run the Baton. Students from local schools as well as members of other organisations will have an opportunity to interact with the Baton,” Farara stated.
The baton is scheduled to arrive on island on Monday, April 25 from Barbados. Its first appearance will be on Tuesday, April 26 at 9:30AM for the run which begins at Cudjoe Head down to the Governor’s Office. There will be official speeches as well as photo opportunities before the Baton is taken around the Government Headquarters by young athletes.
On Wednesday, several cultural ambassadors will journey with the Baton to iconic spots across Montserrat.
After a three-day stop it will be taken to Dominica by the local Baton Manager who has been identified as Lt. Col. Alvin Ryan of the Royal Montserrat Defence Force.
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 28 July 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