Events marking the Queen’s Baton Relay take place in Cyprus from September 25 to 28.
From 1958 onward the relay event traditionally takes place before the Commonwealth Games, which will be hosted in Australia’s Gold Coast from April 4 to 15 2018.
The Cypriot Commonwealth Games Committee presented today during a press conference the events to take place in cooperation with the Australian High Commission.
The Queen’s Baton completes its journey in Europe and will arrive from Malta to Cyprus on Monday afternoon. A small welcoming event will take place in the VIP arrivals building in the presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.
The Committee’s President Dinos Michaelides said that the Commonwealth Games constitute an important sporting and social event for Cyprus, since it has the chance to take part together with 70 other countries with different culture, language, religion and social and economic level, to meet up in a friendly environment where equality, respect, friendship and dignity prevail.
“For Cyprus, the fact that the Games take part in Australia in 2018 is an additional important fact, since we will have the opportunity to meet up with the Cypriot Diaspora,” he noted, adding that “it is our duty to try our best to make them proud.”
On his part, Australian High Commissioner Alan Sweetman said that the Games return to Australia after 12 years and recalled the successful organisation of the Games in Melbourne in 2006.
He referred to the Arts Festival and the cultural programme which will take part at the same time as the Games. The hosting country, he noted, aims to bring to the foreground the multicultural nature and the respect of the various groups of Australia’s population.
He announced the presence in Cyprus during events of the Queen’s Baton Relay of the Australian Performing Group Koomurri.
Olga Piperidou, Cypriot Olympic Committee General Manager, said on her part that Cyprus will take part in the Commonwealth Games with about 40 athletes in nine sporting events; track and field, shooting, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, weight lifting, beach volley, wrestling and boxing.
Queen’s Baton team will be taken on a sightseeing tour of Cyprus, showcasing the history and culture of the island.
Apart from visiting the ancient Curium theatre, the sanctuary of Apollo Ilatis, Pafos Castle, the Tombs of the Kings, Famagusta Gate in Nicosia, and Troodos forest the Queen’s Baton Relay will visit the Olympic Hall and will also take part in events in High Schools and Lyceums of Limassol and Nicosia.
A farewell reception is set to take place on Wednesday, September 27 at the Olympic Hall.