On October 27, 2021, the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi became a stop on the Commonwealth Games’ historic Queen’s Baton Relay when Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II received the sporting symbol during its visit to Ghana ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Games.

The visit brought together Asante traditional leadership and key figures in Ghana’s sporting administration, linking one of the country’s most prominent traditional institutions with a global sporting tradition that connects Commonwealth nations and territories.

The baton arrived in Ghana on Monday, October 25, 2021, for a three-day tour. During its brief stop at Manhyia Palace on Wednesday, October 27, it was received by Otumfuo, whose presence gave the relay a significant traditional and cultural dimension.

The Queen’s Baton Relay is a longstanding feature of the Commonwealth Games. It carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth and travels among participating nations and territories before reaching the host country for the opening ceremony.

For the Birmingham 2022 edition, the baton carried a message from Queen Elizabeth II, who was then Head of the Commonwealth. Its journey was intended to celebrate the connections between member countries through sport, culture and shared history.

Manhyia joins the global sporting journey

The baton’s visit to Manhyia Palace was a notable moment in its Ghanaian tour, bringing the international sporting event to the seat of the Asantehene in Kumasi.

Several government, sporting and municipal officials attended the brief ceremony, including National Sports Authority Director-General Professor Peter Twumasi, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Evans Opoku Bobie, Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah, Ghana Olympic Committee President Ben Nunoo Mensah and Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive Sam Pyne.

Also present were the acting Ashanti Regional Director of the National Sports Authority, Emmanuel Kojo Appiah, and the authority’s regional public relations officer, Patience Sharon Adams Mensah.

Their attendance reflected the involvement of Ghana’s sporting institutions and regional leadership in the relay, which was designed to build excitement for the Games and strengthen the connection between participating countries.

Although the stop at Manhyia Palace was brief, it formed part of a much wider journey that took the baton across the Commonwealth, with each stop offering an opportunity to celebrate local identity, sporting achievement and international cooperation.

From Ghana to Birmingham 2022

The relay was part of the build-up to the 2022 Commonwealth Games, held in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to August 8, 2022.

The baton’s journey was planned to cover the Commonwealth’s member countries and territories across the continents before its arrival in Birmingham for the opening ceremony.

The relay also served as a reminder of the Commonwealth’s historic links, while placing sport at the centre of efforts to bring people and communities together.

For Ghana, the baton’s arrival offered an opportunity to connect the country’s sporting ambitions with its cultural heritage. Its visit to Manhyia Palace brought those two elements together in a setting associated with the history and traditions of the Asante Kingdom.

Looking back, the October 27, 2021, visit remains a moment when a global sporting tradition met one of Ghana’s most influential traditional institutions, as the Commonwealth Games baton continued its journey towards Birmingham.

EA