India Gears Up to Host 2010 Commonwealth Games
The Queen's Baton relays for the 2010 Commonwealth Games have already arrived in India. Officials of the Sikkim Olympic Association received the Baton at Rangpo border check post.
The baton will travel to provincial capital Gangtok, where a grand cultural programme will welcome the baton with Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, Governor Balimiki Prasad Singh, besides other officials attending the ceremony.
"Well, it is a proud movement for the state of Sikkim since, today the Queen's Baton is being brought to that state” stated T T Dorjee, Chief Secretary of Sikkim.
All possible arrangements for the games have been made and the people of Sikkim are confident that the entire rally will be held in a proper manner. The whole event will bring about lots of awareness, as far as Commonwealth Games are concerned. Sikkim being a remote state may not be aware about Commonwealth Games happening in Delhi thus will be a new experience for them.
The Queen's Baton arrived in India from neighbouring Pakistan via the Wagah border in northern Punjab state on June 25th 2010.
The Baton will cover 28 states and seven federally administered Union Territories during its 100 day run in India.
The Baton carries a message from the head of the Commonwealth of Nations -- Queen Elizabeth II, which would be read out at the opening ceremony of the games that are set to attract some of the leading athletes in the world, to the Indian capital.
The baton was released by Queen Elizabeth II for the 2010 Games on October 29, 2009 from Buckingham Palace in London.
The baton travelled by different modes before going through thousands of hands.
It will cover over 20,000 kilometres, in 340 days, making the Queen's Baton Relay 2010, one of the longest relays in the history of the Commonwealth Games.
Earlier in the day, a special Commonwealth Express, highlighting the various aspects of the international games and India's sporting history, travelled in the city's railway station.
The initiative has been undertaken to promote the Commonwealth Games, which would be hosted in Indian capital, New Delhi.
The train will be recalling the sporting history of the nation besides exhibiting other achievements of the country.
"We should sensitise our youths, (in particular) schoolchildren and college students, about the big event that will take place in Delhi. I visited the train and found out that train has been prepared very well. All the information and many things, which are part of our heritage" said Dr. Farasat Hussain, Vice President of Indian Association of Sports Medicine.
Flagged off from New Delhi on June 24th, the train will travel all over India, before returning to the venue of the games before the opening ceremony.
India is expecting about 10,000 athletes from 71 teams representing 54 Commonwealth member states.
The Commonwealth Games 2010, to be held from October 3 to 14, will be India's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.
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