Today, 22 April, the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay arrived in Barbados, reaching the 53rd destination out of the 72 Commonwealth nations and territories it will be visiting.

Arriving from Trinidad and Tobago, the Baton officially touched down at the Grantley Adams International Airport this morning at approximately 10:30 a.m. There to formally welcome the Baton was the United Kingdom’s Deputy High Commissioner to Barbados Craig Fulton, Cameron Burke, Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022 and Vice President of Commonwealth Games Barbados, and Shelley-Ann Griffith, Assistant Secretary General of Commonwealth Games Barbados. The Baton was delivered to Barbados by Lovie Santana, Trinidad and Tobago’s Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022.
The Queen’s Baton, which carries a message from Her Majesty The Queen, arrived in Barbados as it continues its global journey ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held in England from 28 July until 8 August 2022.
The Queen’s Baton is in Barbados for four days. During its time here, it will be carried by Batonbearers, all outstanding Barbadian athletes, during the Baton Relay tomorrow, Saturday, 23 April, starting in St. George and concluding in St. Michael. As it navigates all 11 parishes on the island, it will pass to athletes drawn from several sports, including Swimming, Track, Badminton, Gymnastics, Cricket, Boxing, Cycling, Netball, Chess and Triathlon.
It will make several stops on its journey around the island, including the PEG Farms Nature Sanctuary in St. Joseph, Cherry Tree Hill and St. Nicholas Abbey in St. Peter, the Historic Garrison Savannah in St. Michael, and will experience a ride around the track at the Bushy Park Racing Circuit in St. Philip.
Organiser for the Queen’s Baton Relay in Barbados, Gail Craig-Archer said, “Barbados is the 53rd stop on the journey for the Baton before the Birmingham Games. The Baton will be going around the island tomorrow and we’re starting with some photo ops at different places of interests on the island. Our first stop would be Bulkeley Sugar Factory, then we go off to South Point Lighthouse, then the Baton is going to take a lap around the Bushy Park Track. Barbados so far will be the only country that will have the Baton in a racing car going around the track. So we’re very excited about that. Then on Sunday, the Baton will be hosted by the British High Commissioner“.
Craig-Archer indicated that the Baton will depart Barbados on Monday for Montserrat. She noted that Monday is a significant milestone in the Baton’s journey, as it marks the 200th day it has been travelling around the Commonwealth.
The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay started at Buckingham Palace on 7 October 2021, when Her Majesty The Queen placed her Message to the Commonwealth into the Baton and passed it to four-time Paralympic gold medallist and Team England athlete Kadeena Cox. The 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay is an epic journey covering the entirety of the Commonwealth as it will travel to all 72 nations and territories, covering a distance of 140,000 kilometres.
The Queen’s Baton previously visited Barbados for the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Queen’s Baton Relay is a long-standing tradition of the Commonwealth Games which started back in 1958 at the Games held in Cardiff, Wales.
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