MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay in the Falklands on June 7

The Relay will begin on 7 October 2021, once Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has placed her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton.

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to take place from 28 July to 8 August will be preceded by the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay. An epic journey across the Commonwealth, with the Queen’s Baton visiting all 72 nations and territories, reaching Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and in the Americas, among others the Falkland Islands on 7 June 2022.

The Relay will begin on 7 October 2021, once Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has placed her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton.

The Baton will then travel for 269 days, connecting communities in every corner of the Commonwealth, embracing unique cultures and sharing stories. The baton will spend between two and four days in each nation or territory, covering approximately 90,000 miles (140,000 kilometres), with over 7,500 Baton-bearers trusted with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Baton in their community.

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay will visit all 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth yet will travel almost half the distance than the previous Gold Coast Queen’s Baton Relay in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint.

During the visit, each nation and territory will host events and activities that showcase untold stories from Baton-bearers, athletes, and young people who are striving for change in their community, as well as showcasing a project that addresses one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Baton will witness moments of celebration, visit local schools and explore iconic landmarks.

Throughout the Relay, the Baton will spend Christmas Eve in Seychelles, will bring in the New Year in the Maldives and will be in Jamaica over the Easter weekend.

Flying out from Birmingham International Airport, the first stop on the Relay is Cyprus on 9 October, shortly followed by Malta on 12 October.

Arriving in Africa on 16 October, the Baton will take in the rich cultures of all 19 Commonwealth countries on the continent, as well as a stop on the volcanic island of Saint Helena.

After three days in Pakistan, the Baton will spend New Year’s Day in the Maldives, before visiting Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and spending four days in India between 12-15 January 2022.

The Baton will journey across Southeast Asia, visiting Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam in January, and travelling to the Pacific Islands in February, including a visit to the smallest island in the Commonwealth, Nauru.

New Zealand will host the Baton on Commonwealth Day during a visit from 12 until 15 March, before four days in Australia (17-20 March), hosts of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Baton will spend two months travelling around the Caribbean and Americas, including visits to The Bahamas, Jamaica and Barbados, and reaching the islands of St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines.

From here, the Baton will spend four days in Canada, arriving on 26 May 2022, before visiting Gibraltar. After stopping off at the Falkland Islands on 7 June, and later travelling to Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, the Relay will have an extended duration of five days in Scotland, four in Northern Ireland, five in Wales and 25 days covering the length and breadth of England.

The global journey will conclude at the Birmingham 2022 Opening Ceremony where the final Baton-bearer will return the Baton to Her Majesty The Queen.

Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin DBE said: “The Queen’s Baton Relay is one of the most special aspects of the Commonwealth Games as it so vividly symbolizes the friendship, respect and unity across our 72 nations and territories.

“When Her Majesty The Queen places Her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton at Buckingham Palace next week, it will start a spectacular 269-day journey that will begin the final countdown to the Opening Ceremony.

“I know that communities across the Commonwealth will be so excited to see the Baton as it passes through their villages, towns and cities.

“I hope that as many Commonwealth citizens as possible can be part of the Relay so that they can experience the true magic of the Commonwealth Games.”

The Baton was created through collaboration with several West Midlands-based engineers and designers, including artist Laura Nyahuye and Raymont-Osman Product Design.

Martin-Green, Chief Creative Officer at Birmingham 2022, described the Queen’s Baton Relay as a “special tradition for the games” and unveiling its international journey was an “exciting milestone” for the team.