Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia recieve queen’s baton
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia yesterday received the Queens Baton Relay.
Ghana is the second to have received the Baton after Sierra Leone since it was dispatched by the Queen of England a week ago.
Receiving it on behalf of President Akufo-Addo and the government and people of Ghana, he indicated that Ghana has participated in every Commonwealth Games except the 1986 Edinburgh Games.
So far, he said “we’ve done reasonably well.”
Dr Bawumia was elated that the Games would be held at a place called Gold Coast in Australia, particularly because, he said “Ghana used to be the Gold Coast, so I think that it’s like we are going home for these games. So we hope our athletes come back with a lot of gold from the Gold Coast”
He thanked the Queen for her goodwill message and her passion for the continent of Africa.
Shortly thereafter, he did a short run with the Baton and handed it over to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Isaac Asiamah, who equally did a run and also handed it over to the Chairman of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC), Ben Nunoo Mensah.
The Baton would be traveling to 70 Commonwealth countries.
On his part, Chairman of the GOC, said “the Baton comes with it a message of peace which unifies the whole of the Commonwealth and for us in Ghana, it signifies a special role and a special attachment to the Queen and the Commonwealth.”
“As we prepare towards the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, we are assuring that Ghana’s contingent to the games will put up one of the most splendid performances we have seen in the Commonwealth.”
Out of the 51 times that Ghana participated in the Commonwealth Games, he indicated that the country won about 15 medals and thus expressed hope that this time around the story would be different, with Ghana winning more medals.
On her part, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Dr Louise Martin who presented the Baton to the Vice President expressed joy for the warm reception given her in the country.
She expressed the Queen of England’s passion about the people of Africa especially those in the Commonwealth region.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu