Metro welcomes Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay
Ekurhuleni is Africa’s first Aerotropolis, and the continent’s gateway to the world, welcomed the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) on Monday, February 10.
QBR is a much-celebrated sporting tradition, which involves the passing of a baton from one Commonwealth nation to another as an official invitation to the Commonwealth Games, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in July this year.
The handle of the Queen’s Baton is made of Elm wood, and at the top is a puzzle mechanism surrounded by a titanium lattice framework that dispenses granite gemstones to each of the Commonwealth nations and territories the baton visits, inviting them to join Glasgow at the Games.
At the heart of the baton lies a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II inscribed on a parchment.
This message will only be revealed on July 23, when the Queen reads it aloud and declares the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games open.
Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Sport and Recreation in Ekurhuleni, Clr Zeni Tshongweni, joined the minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, and deputy minister, Gert Oosthuizen, as they received the baton on behalf of South Africa during a media briefing at the OR Tambo International Airport on Monday, February 10.
The objective of the QBR is to promote diversity and unity amongst communities.
The baton will be showcased in the streets of Daveyton and Reiger Park on Tuesday where the issues of xenophobia and gangsterism will be highlighted.
The Queen’s Baton Relay will be in the country for five days and will depart from Cape Town bound for St Helena.
