Watch the moment Queen’s Baton Relay arrives in Birmingham - the host city

A huge celebration is planned in Victoria Square when the Queen’s Baton Relay arrives in town
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The Queen’s Baton Relay has arrived in Birmingham - the host city for the Commonwealth Games 2022.

After travelling through 72 Commonwealth nations and territories across the globe, it has arrved back in Birmingham, where it was created in the Jewellery Quarter.

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It’s got two days of adventures, visiting people and landmarks around Birmingham, before it arrives at Alexander Stadium for the Opening Ceremony on Thursday evening.

It’s first stop was at the Botanical Gardens in Edgbaston this morning (Wednesday, July 27).

Throngs of people waited to welcome the baton while enjoying the natural views of the large garden. People were entertained with live music as the atmosphere was joyful.

At 8am, the first Birmingham baton bearer - Sarb Clare MBE, who is a consultant at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust - walked down the steps of the garden. She raised the baton above her small frame to show it to everyone gathered and took in the proud moment. She then carried it through the pathways of the garden where crowds waited to see her at different points of the route.

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She was flanked by officers on both sides, who kept guarding the baton as it changed hands.

Sarb Clare MBESarb Clare MBE
Sarb Clare MBE

The air was filled with cheers and claps not only from family members of the baton bearers but also members of the Botanical Gardens staff who chose to not miss this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Sarb handed the baton to the next baton bearer, Eathan Anthony, who jogged ahead with it and later handed it to Steven Mroso, who has been named a hometown hero for the Commonwealth Games.

Mroso is the general manager at Team Birmingham Elite and handles the day-to-day duties of the club. He also spends his time as the head coach of the women’s team at Birmingham City University and is the head coach to the junior groups and assistant coach to the Academy teams and the senior groups.

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He lives and breathes basketball and hopes to be a positive role model to the players. He was accompanied by his wife and two kids at the event. When asked about their reaction, he said his family is happy for him.

“It’s a lifetime achievement to be able to be a baton bearer and to be a hometown hero. It’s fantastic,” he said.

He finally handed off the baton to Sarah Kisumba, who concluded the loop of the botanical gardens. She was greeted with cheers and applause as she headed to the exit and then took it further to the university.

Steve MrosoSteve Mroso
Steve Mroso

Councillor Ian Ward, who was present at the event, said: “I think the Birmingham welcome will really be a Commonwealth welcome. We have claimed throughout that we have people living here who can trace their heritage back to every single 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

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“I was speaking to one of the smaller territories yesterday, Saint Helena, which has a population of 4,200 and they have two of their citizens who live in Birmingham.”

He further added that everyone will receive a warm welcome. He called the Baton’s arrival in Birmingham a “signigicant moment in the journey of the games”.

The baton will be welcomed this evening at Victoria Square with a huge party and entertainment to mark its arrival in the host city for the 2022 Games.

“As it has been on its travels, the technology within the baton has been taking photos, recording videos, and has been testing the quality of air,” Cllr Ward . So, we will be looking at all of that data at the University of Birmingham in the months and years to come to get a picture of what life is really like in the Commonwealth. Where the air quality is good, where it’s not so good. It’s not just taking the Queen’s message around it’s also been gathering data that will be useful for our journey towards carbon neutrality in the future,” Ward added.

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