Patil reaches UK, stage set for Queen Baton Relay

London, Oct 27: President of India, Pratibha Patel landed in the UK on Monday, Oct 26 evening to script history as first Head of the State to be present at the launch of the Queen's Baton Relay.

In what is being considered as the perfect curtain raiser for the Commonwealth Games 2010 which is being hosted by India, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be handing over the Baton to the President of India, Pratibha Patil in the Buckingham Palace on Thursday, Oct 29.

Speaking about the country's preparations for the prestigous event, the president said that Delhi is 'quite prepared' for hosting Commonwealth Games in Oct 2010.

In the baton relay, after the president receives the baton from the Queen, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chairman Suresh Kalamdi, and Olympic gold medallist and ace shooter Abhinav Bindra will then start the Queen"s Baton Relay,

The baton will travel through 70 countries before it reaches the Indian capital where the games is scheduled to begin on Oct 3, 2010.

The Queen's Baton relay is one of the oldest traditions of Commonwealth Games since it was first done in the 1958 Games in Wales

OneIndia News