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This is an archive article published on July 10, 2010
Heat and dust aside,Queens Baton gets a warm reception at Lucknow
Braving the heat,hundreds of schoolchildren welcomed the Commonwealth Games 2010 Queens Baton Relay as soon as it reached Itaunja,Lucknow on Friday.
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Heat and dust aside,Queens Baton gets a warm reception at Lucknow
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Braving the heat,hundreds of schoolchildren welcomed the Commonwealth Games 2010 Queens Baton Relay as soon as it reached Itaunja,Lucknow on Friday. The Baton which was scheduled to arrive there at 4.15 pm from Sitapur,reached over an hour behind the expected time. However,this did not dampen the enthusiasm among the children and public which had gathered there in large numbers.
The was a huge applause from the crowd which had gathered there as soon general secretary UP Olympic Association (UPOA) Anandeshwar Pandey handed over the Baton to the district administration official. Local MLA and sports department officials were all present to receive the Baton. The children surrounded the Baton in order to have a feel of it. It was interesting to see a young children almost snatching away the Baton at one point of time. The UPOA officials soon alighted the Baton Relay vehicle and left for the Bara Imambara. It was quite heartening to see the schoolchildren and the general public waving at the Baton. Many were wearing T-shirts carrying the message Lucknow Welcomes Queens Baton Relay written on them. Banners and hoardings could be seen throughout the route of the Baton Relay.
Talking to The Indian Express,students Gaurav,Shikhar Seth and Anurag Gulathi confided that participation in this welcome ceremony had instilled such excitement in them regarding the Commonwealth Games that now they will be watching the Games on TV. We just hope that India excels in the event. We will be following the performances of the Indian athletes keenly, said Anurag.
A large crowd,comprising mainly of students holding flags of the different participating nations,waited with great patience as the Baton reached the Bara Imambara at 6.30 pm. The Baton was handed over to the UPOA president Akhilesh Das who in turn handed it over to Commissioner Lucknow Division Prashant Trivedi.
As soon as the Baton reached the Bara Imambara,the atmosphere was filled with a spirit of patriotism as the famous PAC Band played the tune Sare Jahan se achcha…. When the Baton reached the dais,the excitement among the people to see the Baton was such everyone just wanted to be near the stage.
At one time the pandal erected outside the Bara Imambara seemed to look small to hold the crowd.
People could be seen having a glimpse of the Baton from the Bara Imambara and the Imambara looked really magnificent in all its royal splendour. Dressed in blue tracksuits,the students of CMS presented a programme suited for the occasion Welcome Aerobics to welcome the Commonwealth Games slated to be held in Delhi in October. The PAC Band playing the notes,Tum taraqqi ke raste par meelon chalon,Is Tirange tale,Is Tirange tale..,. was like a morale booster for the local athletes who had gathered.
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The photo session which was scheduled to take place in the city had to be postponed due to paucity of time and the Relay team headed straight towards CMS Kanpur Road at around 7.00 pm where cultural programmes awaited the team.
The general public showed a great sense of sporting spirit when traffic was stopped at various places which fell in the route of the Baton Relay. Both at Parivartan Chowk as well as at the KD Singh Babu Stadium,students could be seen standing with discipline on both the sides of the road holding placards welcoming the Baton.
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