TODAY, Guyana will join the scores of fellow Commonwealth nations, who are the destinations that make up the 71-nation, 340-day long, time-honoured curtain-raiser of the Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Baton Relay.
In this its 19th year the games will be held in Delhi, India, from October 3, 2010.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony, at a recent press conference which he shared with Guyana Olympic Association’s (GOA) president K. Juman-Yassin, vice-president of GOA Dr Karen Pilgrim and Colonel Lindon Ross, who is a logistics officer attached to the MCY&S, had said for the past two months several meetings were held involving his ministry, the GOA and the Indian High Commission and among the things discussed was the route which begins at State House where His Excellency President Bharrat Jagdeo himself will begin the Guyanese leg of the relay.
The baton will proceed along the route, which will incorporate about 180 bearers ranging from government officials, dignitaries, schools and all affiliates of the GOA and which is plotted to exploit the natural beauty of Guyana. It will eventually make its way from Georgetown to Berbice to Lethem.
“The baton has a built-in camera that captures images and sounds from each country and back in India they will make a video montage of the journey,” Dr Anthony said.
He said the government intends to exploit this feature saying that, “The interior is a novel feature and we will exploit this opportunity to showcase the beauty of Guyana in its entirety.”
Yassin said this will be the baton relay’s second stop in Guyana, as it was here four years prior to the present time, and as such the local organisers are hoping to make the activity better. He also made special mention of some of the features of the baton which include the light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are programmed to emit light in the colours of the respective national flag as it passes through each country.
The baton is also outfitted with a global positioning system (GPS) and the ability to receive text messages which will be available for viewing on the Commonwealth games website.
Colonel Ross was in charge of the preparations for the baton’s journey out of Georgetown and he succinctly shed some light on this aspect. The baton will be taken from the Berbice River Bridge by cyclists and will gravitate around those areas of historical significance as it changes hands in the ancient county.
On the second day, a contingent will leave Ogle for the interior en route to Lethem where the baton will be taken as far as the Takutu Bridge.
According to Dr Pilgrim, the organising committee has been trying to rally the support of the public urging them to come out and share the splendour of the Mashramani festivities. Such pleas are also being made to the Amerindians in the interior to be out in their tribal wear, etc. as they are trying to make the event more than just a Spartan relay.
The six-member contingent that is expected, along with the baton, consists of John Haskins who is the Vice-President of the Commonwealth Games Committee, Subie Isaacs, Di Henry, Shiv Raj, Raj Kadyan and Baldew Singh.