CWG 2022: Queen's Baton reaches host city of Birmingham

Birmingham [UK], July 27 : The Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton reached the host city of Birmingham on Wednesday after travelling across other Commonwealth countries.
The person holding the baton is Vinod Mahindru, a film producer from Birmingham born in November 1969. He is a resident of the United Kingdom.
The visit will take place in all ten of the city's Parliamentary constituencies and will be carried by hundreds of local community heroes who will take on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be Batonbearers.
The Baton will begin its tour of the city at the Botanical Gardens, which opened in 1832 and remains one of the city's biggest attractions to this day. As a stunning backdrop to kick off proceedings, the venue will showcase species and flowers from all Commonwealth countries.
It will then go to several parks and open spaces as well as locations such as the iconic Old Joe clocktower at the University of Birmingham (the Games Venue for Squash and Hockey), Sarehole Mill, Birmingham City FC's St Andrew's stadium and the Balti Triangle (home to Birmingham's signature curry dish).
During the stops at parks, there will be special community celebrations including at Cotteridge Park, Swanshurst Park and Small Heath Park.
Later on, during the first day in Birmingham, it will arrive at the Gay Village (where drag queens and Chinese dragons will be amongst the welcoming committee) and Gas Street Basin (where Dragon boats with drummers will follow the Baton down the Canal), a journey down Broad Street aboard the West Midlands Metro, before ending the day in the heart of the city centre in Victoria Square - where a "homecoming" celebration event, open to the public, will be staged that evening from 5pm-9pm.
Thursday morning will see the final day of the relay start at Birmingham Children's Hospital (celebrating the efforts of the NHS locally, and giving young patients a chance to see the Baton as it makes its way through wards and corridors).
It will then weave its way through a number of neighbourhoods taking in more parks and open spaces as well as the likes of the Jewellery Quarter (where the efforts of those behind the creation of the Baton and the Games medals will be recognised).
Later on, it will pass landmarks including Handsworth Library and the Nishkam Centre on Soho Road, Sutton Coldfield town centre, a community celebration at Pype Hayes Park (due to run from 11 am to 3 pm) and Aston Villa FC's home Villa Park (where the Relay will go up and down the iconic Holte End steps).
The long journey then ends at Aston Hall - which will be the scene of a family fun event from 12 pm to 4 pm featuring historical interpreters, including King Charles I and Queen Victoria (in costume) along with an opportunity to have a go at a diverse range of activities including lawn bowls, jousting, welly tossing, egg and spoon races, archery, and crafting.
The Baton will then be taken into the Alexander Stadium that evening as part of the Opening Ceremony for the Games.
During the ceremony, the Baton will be opened - and The Queen's personal message to the Commonwealth, inserted when the relay began at Buckingham Palace on October 7, then be read out.
Commonwealth Games will start from Thursday. India will be represented by 215 athletes who will take part in 141 events across 19 sporting disciplines.