Commonwealth Games message brought to forefront as Kings Baton tours the Rock

The King’s Baton Relay, a tradition which sees the King’s Baton travel across the Commonwealth, arrived in Gibraltar this weekend, bringing the Commonwealth Games to the forefront of Gibraltar’s sporting landscape.

Among the biggest sporting events in which Gibraltar can participate, the Commonwealth Games, although limited in the number of athletes Gibraltar can send to compete, remains a focal point for athletes outside of the Island Games.

Although most sports associations can compete at European and World Championships due to Gibraltar being recognised by many of the major sporting bodies, the fact Gibraltar cannot compete in the Olympics leaves the Commonwealth Games as the only other major multi-sport event, aside from the Island Games, in which it can participate.

The arrival of the King’s Baton is one of the highlights as Gibraltar prepares to compete this summer.

Its arrival saw Deputy Mayor Andrea Simpson officially welcome the King’s Baton at the City Hall Parlour in a small presentation which brought together both Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallists alongside some of Gibraltar’s young elite sportspeople.

The event at City Hall was the first of a weekend of activities which saw the King’s Baton parade through Main Street on Saturday morning, with crowds lining both sides of the street as the Sea Scouts led the parade from the Convent to Casemates. They were followed by some of Gibraltar’s top elite sportspeople, including Tyrone Buttigieg, Kim Baglietto and Andrew Gordon.

The presence of young sportspeople from across the various disciplines highlighted the importance of grassroots involvement in the future of the Games. On Monday, the baton was taken into schools as part of its official visit, bringing awareness of the Games and its ethos.

On Saturday at the Convent, both the Chief Minister and the Deputy Governor launched the parade, holding the baton together before presenting it to the athletes, signalling the start of the event.

Representatives from key sports in which Gibraltar will compete this year were present alongside a large group of youngsters invited to parade with the King’s Baton through a packed Main Street.

Replicating much of what has been seen in other territories, the presence of the baton on Gibraltar’s streets highlighted the Rock’s British heritage, gathering widespread support as it paraded through Main Street.

The King’s Baton was also at the centre of a beach clean-up on Sunday, with the baton next making its way into local middle schools on Monday and Tuesday before continuing through the remaining Commonwealth countries and territories ahead of its arrival in Glasgow later this summer.

The baton arrived on the Rock as part of its journey visiting all 74 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, travelling through the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania and Europe.

Each baton carries part of a message from His Majesty King Charles III to the Commonwealth and its athletes.

The Commonwealth Games’ message of unity among the territories involved was brought to schools this week as the baton was paraded within schools. Once again, as has become tradition, the message of the Commonwealth Games, and its importance in Gibraltar’s sporting calendar, was brought to the forefront for the new generation of sportspeople to learn from and aspire towards.

The baton has been specially designed, engineered and handmade in Glasgow by skilled makers from the social enterprise GalGael and master craftsman Tim Norman. Its design celebrates the beauty of local, natural and sustainable materials, creating a blank canvas for customisation.

The baton stands at around 470mm high, with each face measuring approximately 70mm wide.

Each end is tapered to allow two people to hold the baton at the same time, creating moments of connection throughout the King’s Baton Relay and across the Commonwealth.

The artwork on Gibraltar’s section of the baton was created by local artist Jupp, with a special tribute included among the designs to the late Sam O’Shea.