By Bockarie Allieu
FREETOWN, Oct. 28 (SALONE TIMES) – The Commonwealth Games Queens Baton arrived in Sierra Leone from Gambia last Friday 22nd October 2021. The 16th Commonwealth Games will take place in Birmingham 2022 in July.
In this case, the Queens Baton will visit 72 Commonwealth nations in the world, before the games start. Sierra Leone was the 5th country to receive the baton from Gambia.
In Sierra Leone, President Bio was the first person to handle the baton. On the Saturday 23rd October, the Queens Baton visited the resident of the British High Commissioner Lisa Chesney MBE at Hill Station in Freetown.
In her statement after receiving the baton, she said the baton will be taking 294 days and will cover 90,000 miles. She went on that she was happy to receive the baton in Sierra Leone as the British High Commissioner. She termed the event as a special event as it signifies hope, solidarity and the spirit of commonwealth for the next generation.
The Speaker of Parliament Dr. Abass Bundu said at a time like this when all over the world has been occupying by COVID19 it is good that the Pandemic slowing down in the world.
This, he said will very soon enable them to return to their conventional traditional activities. He went on that there is hope that by God’s grace the COVID19 will soon end and they will return back to their traditional and normal activities which includes Sports.
The Vice President of the Commonwealth Games Association Alhaji Abdul Karim Sesay said the Commonwealth Games is not just a competition but it brings multi-national unity among all the nations concern in the world.
It also binds the various nations together as one people and one nation and they will work together as one nation. He told the British High Commissioner that Sierra Leone is passionate about the Commonwealth Games, a reason, he said the people are eager and waiting patiently to see and touch the Queens baton.
He assured all that in the Games, Sierra Leone will not only be participant but will return home with laurels. He assured the British High Commissioner that they will do all things humanly possible to let the baton relay be successful.
From the British High Commissioner’s resident, the baton travelled through Lumley, to the Blind and dumb schools. The baton later went to the Cotton Tree at the center of Freetown. From the Cotton Tree the baton went to the Mayor at the City Hall in Freetown.
At the City Hall, the Secretary General of CGA Joseph Nyande handed over the baton to the Mayor. He told the Mayor that the baton travelled from the Buckingham palace with Queen’s message enshrines in it.
He went on that as the mayor of Freetown they are at the City Hall for the Mayor grace the occasion. The Mayor Aki Sawyer said it was a pleasure and privilege to receive the baton on behalf of the people of Freetown.
This, she said shows they are part of the Commonwealth Games. She called on those witnessing to work together for this big occasion which showed Sierra Leone is part of something bigger than Sierra Leone.
On Sunday the Chairman of the Queens Baton relay Unisa Deen Kargbo lead the delegation to take the baton round the peninsular to visit the historical sites.
On their way, the Baton visited the Slave Yard at Kent and other places where the slaves built. From Kent the Baton visited the Kings Yard at York.
This building they said was the place where they hide the queen during the First World War. From York the relay ended at the Sussex village, this place they said was the place where the Queen use to swim.
The Headman at Sussex thanked the CGA members for thinking about them and appealed to the British government to remember the old places of the Queen.
The occasion ended there and the Baton was taken back to Freetown. On Monday 25th October, AG Koroma travelled with the Baton to Ghana the 6th country to receive the Baton.
