With the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games closing in, the ceremonial King’s Baton Relay kicked off in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The King’s Baton Relay is the traditional event where the baton carrying the message of the British monarch goes around the Commonwealth before reaching the venue for the Games.
For the first time in the history of the CWG, all 74 countries have got their own batons, customised as per their visions and imagination. All the batons will be united at the opening ceremony in Glasgow on July 23, 2026.
India’s baton has been designed by renowned visual artist Aaquib Wani, who also designed India’s jersey for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Explaining his inspirations for the design, Aaquib said, “The baton has three sides, so I decided to design each distinctly. One side takes inspiration from the flowers of India. The second side depicts a peacock, the national bird, and an elephant.”
“The third side belongs to the great Indian literature and depicts the scripts used by Indians,” he added.
In the past, Wani has also designed the Indian men’s cricket team jerseys and termed his love for sports as one of the reasons behind his work.
“I have grown up watching sports and that is the reason whenever I get a chance to work on designs related to sports events, I grab it with both hands,” he quipped.
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The baton was unveiled by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, accompanied by Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha and British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games is scheduled from July 23- August 2 in the Scottish city. This will be the fourth time Scotland will be hosting the event, following editions in Edinburgh (1970 and 1986) and Glasgow (2014).
The Baton will remain on public display in Delhi from November 12 to 14 at DLF Avenue Mall, before travelling to Ahmedabad on November 14 for the next leg of the relay.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
