Sportspersons and residents of Dhanbad participate in the Baton relay at Maithon on Wedesday. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad/Bokaro, Aug. 4: An excited Dhanbad today welcomed the Queen’s Baton for the XIX Commonwealth Games at Shaheed Smarak, Maithon Dam, at 1pm today.

Secretary-general of Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) S.M. Hashmi received the Baton from Bengal officials in the presence of a huge crowd of district officials, sportspersons, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) officials and schoolchildren.

Hashmi handed over the Baton to Dhanbad deputy commissioner Sunil Kumar Burnwal, who, in turn, passed it on to SP Suman Gupta. DVC officials then took it over before a 86-member relay team set off on the road.

Maithon Blood Donors’ association greeted the Baton near Maithon post office while its next stop was BSK College, Maithon. The relay team stopped for a break at Nirsa Inspector office where local MLA Arup Chatterjee and officials of Maithon Power Limited accorded a warm welcome.

Similar greetings were witnessed at Govindpur by Sindri MLA Phul Chand Mahto and at Aamaghat by district forest officer Sanjeev Kumar. A plantation drive was also undertaken on the occasion. Mayor and deputy mayor, Indu Singh and Niraj Singh, respectively, and some ward councillors, received the team at Gol Building near Bhui Phore Temple.

Students welcome the Baton at a Dhanbad school on Wednesday. (Gautam Dey)

Chairman and managing director of BCCL T.K. Lahiri welcomed the Baton at Steel Gate while director of Indian School of Mines T. Kumar and senior teachers were present at the ceremony at ISM Gate. After a few more stops at Randhir Verma Square and DRM Chowk, the relay ended at CIMFR. A cultural programme was presented.

The Baton will embark on the journey for Bokaro from CIMFR at 8.30am tomorrow. Jharia MLA Kunti Singh, along with members of the chamber of commerce, will greet it at Bank More. Tundi MLA Mathura Prasad Mahto will welcome the Baton at Kapuria More while Bagmara MLA Dulu Mahto will do the honours at Mahuda More. The Baton will be handed over to a team from Bokaro, led by deputy commissioner Nitin Madan Kulkarni, at Telmoccho bridge at 10.30am.

The Bokaro administration has ordered closure of all city schools so that the students can participate in the welcome ceremony.

“A grand welcome awaits the Baton. This is a historical occasion. All necessary arrangements have been made,” Kulkarni said.

Bokaro SP Saket Singh added that there were reports that many were planning to stage protest, but they were ready to face the challenge.