Games vice-president escorts baton

Sports

Hugh Graham, the Commonwealth Games Federation Oceania regional vice-president, has been in the country for the past couple of days escorting the Queen’s Baton.
Upon arriving in the country, he flew to Kimbe for the closing ceremony of the PNG Games on Saturday, before arriving in Port Moresby to take part in the final leg of the baton’s journey in PNG.
Graham, who was present at the Queen’s Baton Relay sports clinic yesterday, said the baton’s journey through the Pacific was to bring the people of the region closer to the Commonwealth Games, to be held on the Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4-15 next year.
The relay began its Pacific journey on Nov 8 in Niue then moved to the Cook Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Tuvalu before coming to PNG. The next stop is Solomon Islands and then it will visit Vanuatu where the Pacific Mini Games is currently underway.
“It is fitting as athletes from all over the Pacific will be there. From there, it will go to Norfolk Island then New Zealand before finally arriving in Australia.