The Hindu : Sport : QBR to enter Kerala today

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Thursday, Aug 26, 2010
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QBR to enter Kerala today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Queen's Baton Rely (QBR) of the Commonwealth Games will arrive in the city on Thursday, commencing its four-day long journey in the State.

The QBR which will be arriving from Tamil Nadu will be received by the Sports Minister, M. Vijayakumar at Kaliyikkavila, at the border at 11.30 a.m. before handing it over to key sports officials, including the KSSC president, T.P. Dasan, Secretary (Sports & Youth Affairs), U.K.S. Chauhan and the District Collector, Sanjay Kaul.

Olympian Suresh Babu will be the first athlete to set off the relay on Kerala soil before the baton is brought to the city in a special vehicle.

In the city, it will cover several vantage points and will be carried by prominent sportspersons and officials before being heralded to the Chandrasekharan Nair stadium by Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna winner K.M. Beenamol.

Beenamol will thereafter hand the baton over to the Chief Minister, V.S. Achuthanandan and will pass it over to the CWG QBR team for its onward journey to Lakshadweep.

Special song and cover

The Opposition Leader, Oommen Chandy, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor, C. Jayan Babu, MPs and MLAs besides Mr. Vijayakumar will be present at the function, which will also witness the official release of a theme song, prepared by the Department of Information and Public Relations and rendered by Shankar Mahadevan, and a special first day cover, prepared by the Department of Posts, to commemorate the Kerala leg of the QBR.

The QBR will leave for Lakshadweep on Friday and return to Kochi on August 28. The main function at Kochi will take place on August 29, coinciding with the National Sports Day celebrations.

It will then proceed to Kozhikode, after touching Thrissur and Malappuram, on August 30. The QBR will leave Kerala on August 31 via Wayanad district. The Government will be arranging a farewell function for the QBR at Kalpetta before it bids goodbye to the State. — Special Correspondent

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