— The baton’s historic journey commences from Buckingham Palace in March
Pakistan Olympic Affiliation President Lt Gen Retd Syed Asif Hasan stated on Wednesday that the ‘Queen’s Baton’ of the Commonwealth Video games celebrations in Pakistan will painting a delicate picture of the nation.
“Queen’s Baton might be arriving right here in Pakistan on September 29 from Cyprus and can stay within the nation for 4 days and its presence will assist in growing a optimistic picture of the nation best for all sort of worldwide sports activities occasions and actions,” he stated.
He instructed a information convention right here within the presence of POA Secretary Muhammad Khalid Mahmood and different officers of the nationwide Olympic committee. Commonwealth Video games might be held from April four to 11 at Gold Price, Australia. Gen Arif stated that POA has organized quite a lot of programmes to mark the arrival and keep of Queen’s Baton within the provincial metropolis, which is a historic second in nation’s sports activities.
“Queen’s Baton relay is an integral a part of the Commonwealth Video games and it travels by all of the collaborating international locations and its historic journey commences from Buckingham palace from March subsequent 12 months,” he stated, including that from Pakistan, the Baton will go away for India. Highlighting the options of Queen’s Baton relay ceremony, POA chief stated, “A 4 member group, carrying the baton, might be obtained at Allama Iqbal Airport, Lahore.”
“It’s welcome ceremony might be held on the identical day (September 29) at an area lodge and the baton might be handed over to me,” he stated, including, “On October 2 the baton might be dropped at the well-known Hazuri Bagh Lahore in entrance of Lahore fort for the replay programme, which might be attended by former Olympians, legends of Pakistan sports activities.”
Gen Arif stated that POA was laying particular emphasis on highlighting the significance of the Queen’s Baton among the many youth and that’s the reason it has organized occasions amongst two chosen faculties. He stated that Pakistani sportsmen have received medals in earlier editions of the Video games and baton programme in faculties would assist in glorifying the achievements of the house stalwarts in addition to highlighting the historical past of the Video games.
Answering a query, he stated that it is rather troublesome to foretell at this stage that what number of medals Pakistan would probably win within the video games. “We’ve not but began our preparations for the mega occasion, Authorities has not but earmarked funds for the coaching and grooming of our sportsmen, the place as different international locations within the Asia together with India have allotted enormous funds for the participation of its contingent within the Video games.”
POA chief stated that within the prevailing circumstances within the nationwide sports activities, anticipating medals on the Commonwealth Video games was not a good thought, given the information that establishments associated to sports activities in Pakistan haven’t taken all of the stakeholders into confidence to launch collective efforts for the reason for the sports activities.
The Queen’s Baton carries a message from Queen Elizabeth-II that calls the Commonwealth’s athletes to come back collectively in peaceable and pleasant competitors. The GC2018 Relay would be the longest and essentially the most accessible ever, not simply passing by, however spending high quality time in every group it go to. In complete, it’ll go to 71 international locations, protecting 200,000 miles (321,868km) in 388 days, earlier than arriving in Australia’s Gold Coast for the video games.
