Caption: UK High Commissioner Jon Dean touches the baton with guests at his residence on Tuesday
By Prior Beharry
TRINIDAD and Tobago is the first country to kick off the King’s Baton Relay Race, ahead of the 2026
Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
At a ceremony on Tuesday at the residence of the United Kingdom High Commissioner to T&T Jon Dean, the baton made by former national cyclist Michael Phillips and conceptualised by artist Kenneth Henry, was unveiled.
Dean said, “This year is particularly special for the shared relationship between Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom. Firstly, this is one of the longest ever relays for a Commonwealth Games, 500 days to be specific! Secondly, T&T is the first country to kick off the King’s Baton Relay Race, ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.”
He said, “It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to celebrate Commonwealth Day. This year, we are proud to collaborate with the Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association to mark this important day.
“This occasion brings us together as a family of nations, bound by shared history, values, and a commitment to a better future. The Commonwealth is more than a network of 56 nations, it is a force for progress, unity, and collaboration in an increasingly complex world.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of foreign and CARICOM Affairs Reita Toussaint said, “On occasions such as this often cause us to reflect on the circumstances of the world in which we live. There is much to celebrate, but also much that is unacceptable: extreme poverty, malnutrition and starvation, war and other senseless violence, that we would be hard-pressed to explain or justify to future generations.
“We add to that the inherent vulnerabilities of many nations to cataclysmic weather events and the longer term impacts of Climate Change, with the most severely affected, being the least responsible for the phenomenon.
“As members of the Commonwealth, we are blessed with a unique family of nations that spans continents. With diverse cultures and perspectives, we have managed to maintain shared values, respect and kinship and an intrinsic understanding and unwavering belief that, as is this year’s Commonwealth Day theme, together we thrive.”
Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association (TTCGA) has arranged five days of activities with the Baton starting on March 11th and ending in Tobago on March 15th.
TTCGA President Diane Henderson said, “Trinidad and Tobago is thrilled to be the first host of the King’s Baton Relay, showcasing its creativity and culture through its own Baton design. As well, being able to contribute to the Clean Oceans plastic campaign, and the engagement of our legacies from CYG Trinbago 2023.”
She said the King’s Baton Relay, Commonwealth Sport, for the first time, partnered with the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) to deliver the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign – bringing much-needed attention to both ongoing ocean conservation efforts and interesting new solutions to plastic waste.
Henderson said the campaign aim is for athletes and communities to come together to prevent one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waters and spark lasting change in how we view plastic pollution.
