Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games to pass through Sikkim

GANGTOK, October 29: The Queen’s Baton Relay, one of the great traditions of the Commonwealth Games will enter Sikkim at Rangpo in East Sikkim on July 16, 2010 on its final 100 day of national tour in India.
In Sikkim, the baton to be carried by hundreds of runners not only on foot but by different modes of transport involving ordinary citizens along with sportsmen of today and yesterdays, officials, celebrities, people’s representatives on the way is expected to travel from Rangpo to Gangtok and leave for Melli via Namchi.
From Sikkim, the baton will leave for Darjeeling in West Bengal on July 17 via Melli in South Sikkim.
It is informed that the Baton to visit every Indian State and its Capital will enter India at Wagah border in Punjab from Pakistan on June 25, 2010. The baton will travel in excess of 190,000 kms over a 340 day period. This will make the Delhi 2010 Queen's Baton Relay one of the longest relays in the history of the Commonwealth Games. The XIX Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi in October 2010 is going to be the largest multi sports event ever staged in India where athlete from 71 Commonwealth Games Associations representing over a third of the world population (1.7 billion people) will be contesting in 17 Sports in 11 World Class sporting venues in Delhi. There will be over 10,000 athletes and officials participating in the 12 Days of sporting competition from October 3 to 14, 2010.
The baton will journey 170,000 kms for 240 days in the international sector, comprising 70 nations of the Commonwealth.
Seeking everyone’s involvement in this national event, PK Pradhan, the executive member of the Indian Olympic Association and Member Organising Committee, Common Wealth Games, 2010 has in a press release informed that the State Government in association with the various Sports bodies is seriously committed and working on the modes to make the historical event for the State a grand success making sure of the wholehearted involvement of general public along with the Sports persons and sporting bodies.
It is further informed that the Queen's Baton Relay have been the curtain raiser to every Commonwealth Games since 1958. It will commence when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth entrusts the baton containing Her message to the first Baton bearer at Buckingham Palace on October 29, 2009.
The Relay will conclude with the final Baton bearer entering the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium during the opening ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games on October 3, 2010 where Her Majesty's message will be read aloud, opening the Games.
The Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi is a fusion of hand crafted elements interplayed with a precision engineered body, ornamented with a free flowing inlay of a range of soils. The baton embodies a fusion of a diverse India and its contemporary avatars- an enterprising, young nation with many facets.
The technology features include the ability to capture images and sound as it travels through all nations of the Commonwealth; the latest global positioning system (GPS) technology; and light emitting diodes ( LEDS) embedded on the baton which will change into the colours of a country's flag whilst in that country