GOPIO International President Lord Diljit
Rana, who is also honorary consul for India in Northern Ireland, welcomed the
Queen’s Baton Relay for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in India at a
special ceremony at Belfast City Hall. The Baton was showcased at the annual
dinner of the Northern Ireland region of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries
and Administrators (ICSA) held in Belfast City Hall. Lord Rana, a prominent
Northern Ireland businessman, was a guest speaker at the ICSA event. The baton will cover over 190,000 km across
Commonwealth countries over 340 days and will come to Delhi on June 25. It will
also be one of the longest relays in the history of the Commonwealth Games. It will reach Delhi on October 3, 2010,
when the Queen’s words will be read aloud at the opening ceremony. The Baton Relay is one of the great
traditions of the Commonwealth Games. The Queen’s Baton Relay, similar to the
Olympic Torch Relay, is a relay around the world held prior to the beginning of
the Commonwealth Games. The Relay traditionally begins at
Buckingham Palace in London as a part of the city’s Commonwealth Day
festivities. The Queen entrusts the baton to the first relay runner. At the
Opening Ceremony of the Games, the final relay runner hands the baton back to
the Queen or her representative, who reads the message aloud to officially open
the Games. Our picture shows Lord Diljit Rana, centre,
with the Baton. He is pictured with Dame Mary Peters, an Olympic Gold medal
winner in the Munich Olympics, boxing
champion Barry McGuigan and Gerry Whittle, Northern Ireland chairman of the
Institute of Chartered Administrators and Secretaries.
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