Leicester has been chosen as the only East Midlands city to host the Queen’s Baton on its two-week trip around the country in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games.
The games start in Glasgow on July 23 this year and the relay will take place in May and June.
On June 10 the baton will spend a day in Leicester and events will be held in Town Hall Square and around the Clock Tower to give people a chance to see the baton and try out some of the sports that will be featured in the 20th Commonwealth Games.
As with the Olympic torch relay in Leicester in 2011, there will be a small number of baton-bearers chosen from the local community for their contribution to sport. More information about the baton-bearers will be announced in the spring.
Piara Singh Clair, assistant city mayor for culture, heritage, leisure and sport, said: “I’m delighted that Leicester has been selected to host the Queen’s Baton Relay.
“This is a great opportunity for our city to show its support for Team England – and encourage local people to get active and involved in sport.”
The Queen’s Baton Relay is the traditional curtain-raiser to the Commonwealth Games.
By the time it arrives in England, the baton will already have visited 68 nations and territories and covered almost a third of the world’s population.
The baton contains a message from the Queen to the Commonwealth that will be read out at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow Games.
Commonwealth Games England President Dame Kelly Holmes, who won Commonwealth Gold in Manchester in 2002, said: “Leicester has a huge sporting tradition and I know that the public here will support the English athletes at the games in July.
“The relay is a great chance to both send your backing to the team in Glasgow and have a go at some of the sports that will be available at relay events.”
The Queen’s Baton Relay in England is supported with National Lottery funding from Sport England.
Its visit to England is the last international leg of the relay before the baton enters Scotland.
On its journey across England the baton will arrive at Manchester on Saturday, May 31, then travel to Cheshire, Sheffield, Birmingham, Plymouth, Bristol, Southampton, Kent and Oxford before going to London for two days on June 7 and June 8.
It will then visit Suffolk and then Leicester before making its way towards Scotland via Hull, Leeds, Newcastle, Gateshead and, finally, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland.
Source: Leicester Mercury