Nigeria has been commended for its outstanding role among countries within the African continent featuring in the Commonwealth Games.
With about nine months, and 10 days to the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, Nigeria has received the Queen Baton relay.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is the traditional curtain raiser for the Games which begin when the Baton, containing a message from the Queen of England Elizabeth II, departs Buckingham Palace in London as part of the city’s Commonwealth Day festivities.
The Queen’s Baton is expected to travel for 294 days, visiting all 72 nations and territories as well as connecting communities in every corner of the Commonwealth.
British High Commissioner, Catriona Laing praised Nigeria while receiving the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay team at her residence in Abuja./ In her remarks, Catriona said Nigeria was chosen as the first recipient due to the role Nigeria plays in keeping up with the core values of the Commonwealth Games.
“Nigeria is the best of course why ill you doubt it, because we are starting from WA and when you start in West Africa, and obviously if you are starting with West Africa, you need to start in Nigeria,” Laing said.
“So personally for me it is logical and I think we are very proud to be the first recipient. I think it is a reality good example of the Commonwealth games as far as the principle of diversity inclusion and humanity.”
According to Laing, the Commonwealth Games is all about humanity and inclusion.
“The Commonwealth Games is all about the 3 principle humanity, equality and diversity. So I think we got two specific things about this games which demonstrate that” Laing added.
“So the first thing is around diversity and inclusion , that we are not having a separate paralytic games as we have with the Olympics, is going to be completely integrating . So if you win a medal, it count exactly the same. If you are in a wheel chair example playing badminton, it will count exactly the same.”
“The second is there is going to be more medals for women than men, 136 medals for women and 130 medals for men. We have also included for the first time women cricket team of play, this is really a good example of in the common wealth principle of inclusion, diversity and humanity.”
President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee, Habu Gumel said that Nigeria has always had good outings at the Commonwealth Games and that the 2022 edition would not be an exception.
“The Nigerian team will do well, we will make Nigeria proud while there,” Gumel said. “We have sent a list of 22 sports that we are going to participate in the Common wealth games, we are doing a lot, all arrangements are in top gear, training has started, both in and outside training.”
“As you know Nigeria all along has being doing well and this time we will also do better. The government and the private sector are doing their best regarding funding for sport. However, I call on the multinationals to please come out for the sake of sport development, the government cannot do it alone.”
The Opening Ceremony of the Games will be hosted in Birmingham, UK, from July 28 to August 8, 2022, with thousands of world-class athletes expected to feature in the quadrennial tournament.
The final relay runner hands the baton back to the Queen or her representative, who reads the message aloud to officially open the Games.
