Thaindian News

Shillong, July 21 (IANS) The Queen’s Baton Relay for the 2010 Commonwealth Games Wednesday reached Meghalaya capital Shillong amid much fanfare.
Earlier, the baton was ceremonially received by Deputy Chief Minister B.M. Lanong, who also holds the sports and youth affairs portfolio, at a function held at the Byrnihat, an area bordering Assam, from where it entered the state.

“It’s a proud moment for the people of the hill state to receive the baton,” Lanong said before flagging-off its relay at Byrnihat in Ri-Bhoi district.

The relay covered a distance of 84 km, criss-crossing various areas of Ri-Bhoi and East Khasi Hills districts in the eastern part of Meghalaya.

To mark the arrival of the baton in Meghalaya, the Society for Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge and Practice planted saplings near the Umiam Lake.

India’s marathoner Bining Lyngkhoi of Meghalaya later handed over the Baton to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma at U Soso Tham Auditorium here.

“Meghalaya has not yet tapped the potential of local youth in sports. There is a need to exploit their potentiality to perform at the national and international level,” Sangma said at the colourful cultural function to mark the occasion.

Sangma later handed the baton to Chef de Mission of the Indian Commonwealth team and Assam Rajya Sabha MP Bhubaneswar Kalita and Baton Relay Director Colonel Kuldip Singh for its onward journey to Itangar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh.

The baton has travelled nearly 170,000 km through nearly 70 Commonwealth countries before arriving in India for the Games scheduled Oct 3-14 in New Delhi.

Pakistan’s Olympic Association chief Syed Arif Hassan handed over the baton to Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, who is also the chairman of the organising committee of the 2010 Games, at Attari border in Punjab June 25.

By the end of its journey, the baton would have travelled over 190,000 km, through different modes of transport across land, air and sea, in 340 days. This will make the baton relay 2010 one of the longest in the history of the Commonwealth Games.