THE Queen’s Baton Relay will visit Newport in the lead up to this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Ahead of the games in Birmingham, which start at the end of July, the baton is visiting all 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth over 294 days, covering 140,000 kilometres.
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay began at Buckingham Palace on October 7 last year, when The Queen placed her message to the Commonwealth into the baton and passed it to four-time Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox.
Gwent boxer Lauren Price – who won gold for Team Wales in Gold Coast 2018 – was also one the first to carry the baton.
The Welsh leg of the relay will launch on June 29 in Anglesey, and will last for five days.
The baton will travel nearly 500 miles in Wales, with close to 400 batonbearers – including many who were nominated for their work in the community – across 22 events.
It will arrive in Newport on Sunday, July 3.
Full details are yet to be confirmed of what will happen when the baton arrives, but Newport City Council has said the baton will be at Newport Stadium at 9.30am and will be carried around the track.
There will then be an event involving Newport’s guides and scouts – although details of the event have not yet been released.
Members of the public will be able to come and watch the baton relay from 9.30am.
It will then be taken to Cardiff and Swansea, before returning for its last leg in England.
Commonwealth Games Wales chief executive Chris Jenkins said: “The Queen’s Baton Relay is one event that I always thoroughly enjoy being involved in.
“Having the opportunity for us to travel across Wales, engage with people in communities, and be part of so many different events – it really does bring us together as a country, and this certainly accentuates the build-up for Team Wales in Birmingham this summer.
“We are now looking forward to the Queen’s Baton arriving here in Wales, where we will be visiting schools, historical locations and showcase the beautiful landscape we have.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here