CWG 2010: Queen's Baton arrives in India

Wagah Border, Jun 25: The countdown for the Commonwealth Games 2010 has officially begun with the Queen's Baton reaching India on Friday, Jun 25 morning.

India, which will be hosting the prestigious international sporting event in the national capital, received the baton from Pakistan. Queen's Baton Relay, which has traveled across the world after it was launched by Queen Elizabeth-II at Buckingham Palace in Oct 2009, arrived in Amritsar through the Wagah Border.

Starting from Jun 25, it is exactly a 100 day countdown for the first ever Commonwealth Games being hosted by India.

Commonwealth Games Organising Committee head, Suresh Kalmadi, recieved the baton from his Pakistani counterpart, POA President Lt Gen Syed Arif Hassan.

Mr Kalmadi thanked the people for making this event a huge success by coming out in such big numbers. He promised that everything was in place and that the 19th Commonwealth Games will be a definite success.

Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit and Governor of Punjab, Shivraj Patil, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and Commonwealth Games Federation chief Michael Fennell. were among the other leaders present at the event.

Both Sheila Dikshit as well as Shivraj Patil took the oppurtunity for expressing hope that this kind of events would heal the strained relationship between India and Pakistan as well as bolster the ties between all countreis.

OneIndia News