President and Asantehene to run in Queen's baton relay

Accra (Greater Accra) -- President John Kufuor and Otumfou Osei Tutu II the Asantehene would participate in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Baton relay scheduled for Accra and Kumasi on March 31 and April two respectively.

A release by the British High Commission in Accra said the baton would be brought into the country on Saturday, March 30 by a five-man delegation from Trinidad and Tobago.

The statement said the Accra relay, scheduled for Sunday, March 31 would start from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle through the Ring Road to Danquah Circle through Osu Oxford Street before ending at the Accra Sports Stadium. Other prominent personalities listed to participate in the relay are Aliu Mahama, the Vice-President, Ministers of State, Parliamentarians and the British High Commissioner.

The statement said for the Kumasi relay, the Asantehene would receive the baton at the Manhyia Palace to start the run through Kejetia roundabout, through Adum, to the Roman Hill roundabout, then through Asafo to Amakom traffic light before ending at the Kumasi Sport Stadium.

In a related development, the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) on Tuesday released details for the Ghanaian leg of the baton relay, which would involve more than 1,000 runners. Mr Benson T. Baba, Chairman of the GOC said other participants would be selected from Keep Fit Clubs in Accra and Tema, Old Sportsmen and Women, GOC sponsors, the British High Commission and the British Council.

He said after the Kumasi relay, the team with the baton would return to Accra on the same day and depart to Sierra Leone on Wednesday, April 3. The relay, which is the centrepiece of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee celebrations, began its 22 Commonwealth countries journey from the Buckingham Palace, London on Monday, March 11 and would travel for the first time, to all the six regions of the world - Africa, The Caribbean, The Americas, Europe, Oceania and Asia.

The relay, which aims at fostering a feeling of inclusion and unity in the Commonwealth, would eventually end its exciting travels in the City of Manchester Stadium at the opening ceremony of the 17th Commonwealth Games on July 25. Her Majesty would then read a message taken from an aluminium capsule, inserted into the top of the baton, which would be released by pressing down and turning a cap to the watching Commonwealth.

The relay's futuristic baton is made of "machined aluminium" and has a conductive handle, which has sensors to detect and monitor the pulse rate of those who are lucky to handle it. The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay will be the most extensive Relay ever staged and symbolises the bringing together of the world through sports."

The Manchester Games are the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the United Kingdom (UK). Manchester City Council, the Government and Sport England, which have invested 170 million pounds sterling of lottery funding for sports facilities are funding it and it would be used by the people of Manchester for future generations.