CWG QBR to reach Kolkata on Aug 1

Kolkata: The Queen`s Baton Relay (QBR) of the upcoming Commonwealth Games is all set for a warm welcome when it reaches the city on August 1. "The QBR will arrive at the city`s airport from it`s last stop in Agartala before embarking on a 300 km-plus road journey in the state from the Victoria Memorial," Bengal Olympic Association (BOA) secretary Kamalesh Chatterjee told reporters. "The baton will be received at the airport and then it will proceed to the Bodyguard Lines where it will be kept for few hours before officially re-commencing its run from the Victoria Memorial in the afternoon," said Chatterjee. Former Olympians Sailen Manna, PK Banerjee, Chuni Goswami will be among the host of sport celebrities to receive the baton in the city that will traverse through Bardhaman, Panagarh, Durgapur and Asansol before reaching Dhanbad in Jharkhand on August 4. During its stopover in the city, there will be a cultural programme at the Bodyguard Lines and the postal department will unveil a special commemorative postage stamp for the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi from October 3-14. City police commissioner Goutam Mohan Chakraborty, Deputy General Officer Commanding (Bengal area, Army) Brig A K Sharma and others met at the state secretariat Writer`s Building today to chalk out the arrangements of the baton relay in the state. PTI