Queen’s Baton Flies Out
The 16th Commonwealth Games Queens Baton relay left for Samoa yesterday.
Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) staff Ritesh Ratiram handed the baton to Commissioner West Mesake Ledua at its last Fiji stopover at Koroipita, Naikabula, Lautoka on Monday.
The baton arrives in Samoa today and is expected to be at Vanuatu on Tuesday, February 22.
Fiji is one of the 72 nations and territories the baton was visiting over 294 days.
The baton was in Australia before it flew over to Fiji on February 8 via Post Fiji’s EMS courier services.
“On our way to Lautoka we had stopped over at the Outrigger to plant corals there, before we planted trees at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes,” Ratiram said.
Commissioner West Ledua said: “We are honoured to be included in the Commonwealth Games tradions, we are the 36th country to receive it.”
The baton arrives at Birmingham, England on July 28, where the message stored inside it will be read at the official opening of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“This relay connects communities under the Commonwealth embracing all our unique culture(s) and stories,” Ledua said.
Acting British High Commissioner Paul Welsh encouraged Fijians to share with him the pride that the baton found its way to Koroipita.
According to FASANOC chief executive Lorraine Mar, Koroipita fulfills 16 of the 17 the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – one of the theme of the baton is sustainability.
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