India welcomes Queen’s Baton Relay

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Marking the final one hundred-day countdown to the Commonwealth Games 2010, the Queen’s Baton Relay crossed over from Pakistan into India amidst celebrations on both sides of the Zero Line on Friday morning.

Indian and Pakistani folk musicians — the Wadali Brothers and Rahat Fateh Ali — performed with magnificent synchronicity as Pakistan Olympic Association chief, Lt. Gen. Syed Arif Hassan passed on the baton to Indian Olympic Association president and chairman of the 2010 CWG organising committee Suresh Kalmadi. Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell had specially flown into Amritsar to welcome the Queen’s Baton.
Flagged off at London’s Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth II in the presence of President Pratibha Patil last October, the exquisitely crafted and bejeweled baton has traversed 70 countries to reach the Attari-Wagah Border ahead of what will add up to a 190,000 kilometre-long journey when it arrives in Delhi on September 30.
The Baton was accompanied by a long chain of cloth handkerchiefs, each bearing messages of peace handwritten by Pakistani schoolchildren. A similar chain, with notes from Indian children was handed over during the historic exchange, during which Kalmadi accepted the baton before passing it on to Fennell.
As many as 21 top dignitaries, including Punjab governor Shivraj Patil, Delhi’s chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Union minister of state for external affairs Preneet Kaur, Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and CGF’s CEO Mike Hooper briefly held the baton before its onward journey.
Four-time world boxing champion Mary Kom and Olympic boxing bronze medal winner Vijender Singh were given the honour of commencing the run from the India-Pakistan border to the holy city of Amritsar.
Emphasising the significance of the occasion, Kalmadi said, “Pakistan’s efforts helped India get the Games and I am sure that out relationship with Pakistan will improve if we concentrate on the sporting angle.”
Also acknowledging that there remain 100 days before the inauguration of the Games Kalmadi sought to assure all that India was ready. “Let me tell you that everything is in place, including the infrastructure. It will be a great success.” Sharing the IOA president’s confidence, Fennell said, “The OC is working day and night to leave no stone unturned to make it (the Games) a success. I am sure that the Delhi Games will be good celebration.”