India will host the 16th official Queen's Baton Relay for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games for four days between January 12 and 15, the organising committee of the showpiece event announced on Tuesday.
The Queen's Baton Relay is a Games tradition that celebrates, connects and excites communities from across Commonwealth during the build-up to the Games.
The Relay begins on October 7, 2021 at Buckingham Palace, where Queen Elizabeth II will place her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton. The Baton then takes on an incredible 294-day journey through all nations and territories of the Commonwealth, arriving back in England in July 2022.
The Baton will travel an epic international route, spanning an impressive 269 days, spending between two and four days in each nation or territory, covering approximately 90,000 miles (140,000 kilometres), having over 7,500 Batonbearers trusted with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Baton.
The Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay will visit all 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth yet will travel almost half the distance than the previous Gold Coast Queen's Baton Relay in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint.
Over the course of the Relay, the Baton is set to spend Christmas Eve in the Seychelles, will bring in the New Year in the Maldives and plans to be in Jamaica over the Easter weekend.
"After three days in Pakistan, the Baton will spend New Year's Day in the Maldives, before visiting Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and spending four days in India between 12-15 January 2022," the organising committee stated.
The Baton will journey across Southeast Asia, visiting Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam in January, and travelling to the Pacific Islands in February, including a visit to the smallest island in the Commonwealth, Nauru.
New Zealand will host the Baton on Commonwealth Day during a visit from March 12 until 15, before four days in Australia (17-20 March), hosts of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The Baton will spend two months travelling around the Caribbean and Americas, including visits to The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, and reaching the islands of St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
From here, the Baton will spend four days in Canada, arriving on May 26, 2022, before visiting Gibraltar.
After stopping off at the Falkland Islands, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man in first three weeks of June, the Relay will have an extended duration of five days in Scotland, four in Northern Ireland, five in Wales and 25 days covering the length and breadth of England.
During each visit, nations and territories will host events and activities that showcase untold stories from Batonbearers, athletes, and young people who are striving for change in their community, as well as showcasing a project that addresses at least one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
( With inputs from ANI )
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