Queen's Baton for 2018 CWG arrives in Agra

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Oct 4 (ANI): The Queen's Baton Relay arrived in Agra on Wednesday during its India leg as it tours the globe ahead of next year's Commonwealth Games in Australia.

On its arrival, the Queen's Baton Relay received a warm welcome by the local residents and sports enthusiasts. It also caught a glimpse of Taj Mahal.

Uttar Pradesh Sports Minister Chetan Chauhan as well as Olympic Association senior official also ran at the iconic Taj Mahal while holding the Queen's Baton Relay.

"I want to thank Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as well as Commonwealth delegates for honouring Uttar Pradesh by bringing the Queen's Baton. According to me, the race for the Commonwealth Games has now started. All the players have started their preparations," Chauhan told ANI.

As per reports, the Queen's Baton will also be taken to Pantnagar and from there on it will visit Haldwani and Nainital in Uttarakhand. Thereafter, the baton relay will continue to Rishikesh, Haridwar and finally to Dehradun.

The baton relay is similar to the Olympic Torch Relay and it has already been carried to 51 countries before India following which it will be taken to Bangladesh and eventually reaching the host country, Australia, on December 24.

On April 4, 2018, over 6,600 athletes and team officials from 70 nations and territories will converge on the Gold Coast for an 11 day sporting and cultural event.

It is reported that the 2018 Queen's Baton Relay is the longest in the history of the Commonwealth Games and is supposed to cover a distance of approximately 2,30,000 km in 388 days. (ANI)