THE Queen’s Baton will arrive in Namibia on 27 April as part of its worldwide relay tour to promote the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
The secretary general of the Namibian National Olympic Committee, Joan Smit said they had drawn up an exciting program for the four days that the baton will be in Namibia, before continuing its journey to Botswana.
The Queens Baton Relay will take place in Windhoek on Friday, 28 April, starting at the United Nations House at 09h00.
From there it will be carried by various baton bearers to the National Assembly where it will be received by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Peter Katjavivi who will also give a welcoming address.
The journey will continue down Independence Avenue towards the Windhoek Municipality where the Mayor of Windhoek, Muezee Kazapua will receive the baton.
Smit said Namibians from all walks of life are welcome to be part of the relay.
“We will have people from all walks of life and whoever wants to participate is welcome. We invite everyone to come and have a look, and to take a photo with the baton,” she said.
The relay will continue to the Independence Stadium where it will join about 850 school children who will be competing in the Namibian National Schools Athletics Championships at the same time.
The baton will also be taken to the Windhoek Central Hospital while the day will be concluded with a gala dinner where special guests will include deputy minister of sport Agnes Tjongarero, the first secretary of the Australian high commission, and former Namibian rugby captain Jacques Burger, who will be the keynote speaker.
On Saturday morning the baton will be on display at the Grove Mall where various sporting and cultural activities such as archery, 3×3 basketball, table tennis, fencing, duathlon, gymnastics, eistock and dance performances will take place.
The baton will then be taken to the N/a’ankuse San Bushmen Sanctuary before it leaves for Botswana on 1 May.
Smit said the gala dinner will also serve as a fundraiser for the Youth Commonwealth Games which take place in the Bahamas in July this year.
Nine Namibian athletes have already qualified for the event from boxing, cycling, tennis and athletics.
“It’s important that our athletes attend these events if they want to progress to the Commonwealth or Olympic Games, because there are not so many opportunities for them,” she said, adding that they needed top raise at least N$500 000 to send a team of nine athletes and four officials to the Commonwealth Youth Games.
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