(From Top)East Singhbhum SSP Akhilesh Kumar Jha, JOA secretary-general SM Hashmi, DC Himani Pandey, Congress leader Pradip Kumar Balmuchu and Karate Association of Jharkhand chief Nandji Prasad welcome the Queen’s Baton in Jamshedpur on Saturday before handing over charge to mountaineer Bachendri Pal who was part of the relay team which wound its way through the steel city .Pictures by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Aug 7: The Queen’s Baton bowled over Jamshedpur today as it wound along the 23km route through the steel city, drawing huge crowds wherever it went.

THE WELCOME

A massive crowd gathered to welcome the baton at the border of East Singhbhum on NH 33 at 1.30pm. Keeping with tradition, the baton was handed over to East Singhbhum District Olympic chief Pradip Kumar Balmuchu by Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) secretary-general Syed Matloob Hashmi. Amid loud cheers, Balmuchu passed the baton to East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Himani Pandey in the presence of a host of administration officials, senior police officers and members of the sports fraternity.

INTO THE CITY

From the highway, the baton was taken to Hotel Citi Inn, where it was received by mountaineer Padmashri Bachendri Pal. An hour-long break later, the participants, including the 86-member team which accompanied the baton from Ranchi, left on the onward journey.

CHEERS GALORE

The baton criss-crossed the steel city, covering the earmarked route while touching Pardih, Mango, Sakchi, Golmuri, Tinplate, Telco, Jugsalai and Bistupur.

Amidst the cheering crowd were hundreds of school students who waved the tricolour and banners with green messages. School principals and teachers also joined in. Not to be left behind, Mango homemakers did their bit by cheering from the balconies. In Sakchi, curious roadside vendors mingled with the sea of humanity that had gathered to catch a glimpse of the 1.9kg of metal that embodies the spirit of the Commonwealth Games.

CITIZENS’ SHOW

The 202 participants of the relay in Jamshedpur included sportspersons, corporate honchos, administration and police officers, academics, social workers, eminent citizens and special athletes, all of whom ran with the baton. Social organisations also joined the party, setting up temporary shelters to offer refreshments to the relay team.

The baton toured the city in a decorated vehicle and exchanged hands at earmarked spots along the route.

PEOPLE POWER

Executives of Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tinplate, ISWP, Jusco and other Tata sister concerns made their presence felt in the relay.

Tata Steel vice-presidents Sanjiv Pal, A.M. Mishra, T.V. Narendran, Anand Sen and Varun Jha teamed up to run with the baton in Bistupur. Senior Tata Steel officials including Satish Pillai, chief of corporate sustainability services, sports department head Captain Amitabh, Asian Games gold medallist Charles Borromeo and Arjuna awardee Bagicha Singh were among those who hit the streets.

Arun Mishra, principal executive officer in MD office and Tata Workers’ Union president Raghunath Pandey were also not left out. Eminent social worker Bailey Bodhanwala joined forces after the baton entered JRD Tata Sports Complex in the evening. Tata Steel’s international archers Jayant Talukdar and Rahul Banerjee, pugilist Aruna Mishra, coaches of the company’s three sports academies were among the participants, as was nodal officer for the relay in Jamshedpur Vijay Kumar Singh and SSP Akhilesh Kumar Jha and city police chief Jatin Narwal.

GREEN SEND OFF

The departure of the Queen’s Baton from Ranchi for the steel city was marked by a tree planting ceremony that conveyed the message “a green city is a healthy city.”After a night’s rest at the mega sports complex, the Queen’s Baton relay team embarked on the next leg of the journey around 10am, when chairman of the baton relay organising committee and deputy commissioner K.K. Soan handed over the baton to Kamal Choudhary, the leader of the group travelling with the baton. The organising committee arranged for plantation of 500 saplings behind the Games Village at Hotwar. En route to Jamshedpur, the baton was welcomed by school children at Tatisilwai.

MUSICAL TRIBUTE

A song wishing India’s sporting stars every success in the Commonwealth Games. Another song for Jharkhand, highlighting the state’s rich culture. For Ranchi band Sparsh, playing the two numbers to welcome the Queen’s Baton to the state capital, was a dream come true as they performed on Friday night.

ONWARD JOURNEY

The Queen’s Baton will leave the steel city for Orissa tomorrow.