British High Commissioner welcomes Queen’s Baton Relay to Kampala
The Queen’s Baton Relay is the curtain-raiser for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow in July 2014. To mark the QBR’s visit to Uganda on 14 and 15 January, the UK organised a children’s tag rugby tournament.
The British High Commissioner, Alison Blackburne and Minister for Education and Sports, Hon Jessica Alupo receive the Queen's Baton from the captains of the Ugandan Men and Women's rugby teams
To celebrate the arrival of the QBR in Uganda, on 14 January the British High Commission held an all-day event which promoted a Commonwealth Games sport (rugby) in which Uganda itself will compete in Glasgow 2014. The British High Commission’s children’s tag rugby tournament also promoted the young and developing sport of tag rugby, through partnership with the Tag Rugby Trust, a UK charity working in Uganda, which focuses on developing grass roots rugby and encouraging community participation in sport. The tournament involved children from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those with special needs, those with disabilities and those from disadvantaged areas.
The eight teams competing in our tournament were drawn from the following organisations:
- Kids of Africa Orphanage Home
- Uganda School for the Deaf
- Makerere Tag Centre
- Kyambogo Tag Centre
- Kireka Home for Children with Special Needs
- Earnest Orphanage School
- Naguru Tag Centre
- Shalom Orphanage
The British High Commissioner Alison Blackburne welcomed the Minister of Education and Sport, Hon Jessica Alupo, to the event, and gave a speech highlighting Commonwealth values relevant to sport, youth, community and inclusion.
Children from the participating teams play tag rugby
Earlier on 14 January, the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) – which is the Commonwealth Games equivalent of the Olympic Torch Relay - arrived in Uganda on its journey to the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (23 July - 3 August 2014). The QBR was launched in the UK by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 9 October 2013. Since starting its journey from Buckingham Palace, it had carried a message from Her Majesty across Asia and Oceania to Africa. By the time it reaches the Opening Ceremony of Glasgow 2014 it will have travelled for 288 days, visited all 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth and covered 190,000 kilometers. The relay has been the curtain-raiser for the Commonwealth Games since 1958 and remains a unique event which unites citizens across the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport and Commonwealth values.
Following the success of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the 20th Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow in 2014. This will be the third time that Scotland has hosted the Commonwealth Games and the sixth time that the UK has hosted the Games.