Jonathan Receives 20th Commonwealth Games Baton

                                        
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday received Queen Elizabeth’s Commonwealth Baton, with an assurance that Nigerian contingent would thrill fans in the upcoming games.
The 20th Commonwealth games scheduled to hold in Glasgow, Scotland from 23rd of July to 3rd August this year takes place every four years.
Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, had personally flagged off the relay on October 9, 2013 at Buckingham palace London.
The baton is expected to move round the 71 countries and territories of the commonwealth thereby collecting over a third of the world population.


Clad in a sporty outfit, a white attire and a fazecap to match, the President received the baton from the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdulahi, at the Presidential Villa.
The President then handed the baton to the minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed for a state tour.
Jonathan said it was gratifying that Nigeria as part of the Commonwealth family is fully involved in the Queen’s baton relay which is one of the great traditions of the commonwealth games.
“I have no doubt that the Queen’s baton symbolises the shared ideals of the commonwealth of nations and provides a unique opportunity for us to share in the excitement of the common wealth games. I believe it also plays the important role of creating awareness of the games amongst sports loving people and citizens of the commonwealth,” he added.

Recalling that as a committed member of the commonwealth, Nigeria had participated in all but four of the commonwealth games since 1950 even way before its independence as a nation in 1960, he said, “Nigeria’s first gold medal was won in the high jump at the British Empire and Commonwealth games as it was then called in Vancouver, Canada in 1954. Nigeria won a total of seven medals: 1 gold, two silver and three bronze in Vancouver.”
He recalled that the country’s most memorable outings were the 1994 and 2010 games in Victoria Canada and Delhi India where eleven gold medals were won each, adding that, following the glorious time experienced in sporting activities, Nigerians were expecting more.
He urged all Nigerians to give adequate support to the development of sports in the country, stating that “Sports not only builds character, but is a veritable tool for sustaining unity of our great nation.”