The pace of the countdown to next year’s Commonwealth Games went from a jog to a sprint this week with announcements about the Glasgow 2014 baton design, and event tickets going on sale.
Glasgow 2014 organisers have revealed photos of the baton that will be carried to every nation and territory competing at next year’s Commonwealth Games – including the Isle of Man. The Queen’s Baton Relay will symbolically unite the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace. The relay will begin on October 9 this year at Buckingham Palace when Her Majesty The Queen will place her message to the Commonwealth inside the baton. From there, it will travel to Glasgow and begin its epic journey including travelling to the plains of Africa, the gleaming skyscrapers of Singapore, the tiny tropical islands of St Lucia and Dominica and Canada’s snow-capped mountains. Upon its return to Scotland, the baton will visit communities across the host country before arriving at its final destination - the opening ceremony at Celtic Park on July 23. In all, the relay will visit 71 nations and territories in 288 days - a total distance of 118,085 miles.
The baton will arrive in the Isle of Man on May 16, 2014, from the Guernsey and Jersey legs of the relay. It will leave the Island on Monday May 19 and continue on its journey with the next stop being Northern Ireland. Details of the exact route it will take in the Isle of Man have yet to be finalised, but photos have been released of the baton itself. It is made from titanium, wood, and granite and was designed by Glasgow-based 4c Design in collaboration with Scottish school students. It is intended to symbolise Glasgow’s and Scotland’s culture, history and innovation in its design and construction. The Queen’s Message is inscribed on a parchment handmade in Glasgow using linen and plant fibre. The baton contains a granite ‘gemstone’ which will be gifted to each nation and territory during the visit.
Juliet Holt, President of the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association (IoM CGA), said:
“Seeing the baton design for the first time is a reminder that the countdown to the Games is beginning in earnest, and IoM CGA’s preparations for Team Isle of Man are starting to gain pace too.”
Tickets for Glasgow 2014 went on sale on Monday August 19. Manx residents can purchase their tickets and travel packages from Mann Link Travel, the Island’s official Glasgow 2014 ticket and travel provider. The company – which is owned by the Online Regional Travel Group, the largest online travel group in the British Isles – has been the event’s official Isle of Man travel partner since the 1980s. For details about ticket and travel packages to Glasgow 2014, contact Mann Link Travel’s dedicated Business Team on (01624) 654655 or email business@mannlink.com.
The team that the Isle of Man sends to Glasgow 2014 depends upon public support for fundraising events organised by the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association, which is a registered charity. The Association is responsible for the publicity, fundraising, travel and support for Team Isle of Man’s participation at the Commonwealth Games. A key part of the fundraising strategy in the build-up to Glasgow 2014 is the Team Isle of Man Champions initiative. A total of 10 Island businesses will be announced as Team Isle of Man Champions in the countdown to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games to help raise funds to send a strong team to the event. As Team Isle of Man Champions businesses can, for example, use the official Champions logo on all marketing material, company vehicles and on their website. Any businesses interested in becoming a Team Isle of Man Champion should contact Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association President Juliet Holt by emailing juliet_holt@hotmail.com – or contact Association Vice-President John Knight by emailing JohnKnight@thechildrenscentre.org.im
For the latest news about Team Isle of Man go to www.cga.im which also allows donations to be made to the team.
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