Queen's Baton leaves for Namibia

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Friday January 29, 2010 00:00

The Baton left Botswana yesterday for Namibia in its tour of all the Commonwealth countries. 'The top part of the Baton carries Queen Elizabeth II message to the 71 participating nations of the Commonwealth. The mid-section, which is the torch changes colour with every country it enters,' Bratnagar said.

He hailed Botswana for successfully hosting the Baton. He said he was amazed at the commitment displayed by the youth to cricket in Botswana. 'It was amazing to see children as young as eight years-old playing cricket with great enthusiasm. It was also motivating to watch the way performances by school children were well organised,' he said. The Commonwealth Games take place in New Delhi, India in October this year.

Meanwhile, Kgosi Tsimane Mokgosi of Balete said the Baton is a symbol of unity of nations of the world. He said the Baton is a true example that people need each other.

'This is also a chance for us to compete with each other at games level unlike the colonial days when competition meant having to use guns and spears,' Mokgosi said. He said through sport countries test each other's fitness and skill. He encouraged athletes to give their best in competitions and treat defeat as an encouragement to perform better next time.

Botswana's best performance at the Commonwealth Games was in 2002 in Manchester, England when it won two medals - a bronze and silver.