King to launch Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth baton relay

King Charles will launch the King’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace later, forward of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Video games.

It’s the 18th official Commonwealth Video games relay and marks 500 days till the occasion begins on 23 July subsequent 12 months.

He’ll hand the baton to champion bike owner Sir Chris Hoy – the primary bearer on its journey world wide.

The relay, which begins in London as part of Commonwealth Day celebrations, would be the King’s first as head of the Commonwealth.

Glasgow 2026, CEO Phil Batty informed REPORTAHOLICS Scotland Information the baton relay launch was a “momentous milestone”.

He mentioned: “To have the assist of the King and to have the baton relay launched actually brings the challenge to life.

“To have the ability to embody all 74 nations over the subsequent 500 days as we journey in direction of the opening ceremony is strictly what the Commonwealth video games is about, uniting communities internationally.”

Following Sir Chris Hoy, the subsequent three baton bearers can be wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn, ocean plastics campaigner Keiran Healy and Trinidad & Tobago judo athlete Gabriella Wooden – who research on the College of Stirling.

Trinidad & Tobago would be the first vacation spot for the relay.

The King will place a sealed message into the baton. It is going to stay inside till the opening ceremony when can be learn out to mark the beginning of video games.

In the meantime, First Minister John Swinney can be in London later to attend the annual Commonwealth Day service of celebration at Westminster Abbey.

Swinney mentioned the video games had been a “enormous alternative for Scotland on the world stage”.

He added: “Glasgow already has an incredible document for internet hosting, receiving worldwide recognition for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Video games.

“Glasgow 2026 will convey enormous financial advantages to town and assist upgrades to sporting amenities – benefitting people, communities and golf equipment.”

The occasion will happen in Glasgow from twenty third July to 2nd August subsequent 12 months.

It is going to function a 10-sport programme with athletes from 74 nations and territories.

Glasgow was introduced because the host of the 2026 Video games after the Australian state of Victoria – which had been as a consequence of host – withdrew over rising prices.

The deal was secured after the Scottish authorities agreed to again it and the Victoria state administration promised a £2.3m funding.

Scottish authorities minister Neil Grey mentioned on the time the truth that town was requested to step in and host the video games was a “testomony to Glasgow and Scotland’s improbable status for internet hosting worldwide occasions”.

Organisers have acknowledged the Video games will come for free of charge to the Scottish public purse, with funding coming from compensation paid to the Commonwealth Video games Federation after the Australians pulled out.

The UK authorities will present monetary assist within the occasion of any elevated safety risk however has mentioned it is not going to fully underwrite the Video games.

The ten-sport Glasgow Video games can be a scaled-back model of the final time town performed host in 2014.

The general variety of sports activities has halved from 20 in Birmingham in 2022 to fight rising internet hosting prices and time calls for.

Nevertheless, greater than 200 gold medals will nonetheless be contested at venues inside an eight-mile hall of town.

Swimming, observe biking and Para sports activities will every boast extra medallists than in any of the earlier 22 iterations of the Video games.

And athletics may have two new occasions – the blended 4x400m relay and the Commonwealth Mile, which replaces the 1500m.

Para sports activities can be totally built-in throughout six of the ten disciplines, with a Video games document of 47 medal occasions in complete.

A complete of 26 biking golds can be fought for on the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, with eight of these in Para-track biking. That’s double the quantity on supply three years in the past.

And 56 can be on supply at Tollcross Worldwide Swimming Centre, with the boys’s 800m and ladies’s 1500m freestyle races included for the primary time.