The Queen’s Baton Relay celebrated New Year’s Eve in the Maldives, welcoming in 2022, the year Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will come to life. The celebrations had an electric atmosphere with live music and fireworks infusing energy into the night.
The morning of New Year’s Day was spent on Nolhivaranfaru with a relay around the island. Batonbearers took turns in leading a pack of runners holding up the Maldivian flag, before taking part in beach clean-up, a project which aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Batonbearers then completed a Relay around Nolhivaram, one of the oldest inhabited islands in the Maldives.
The second relay day started with another beach clean, this time in Dhidhdhoo, the capital of Haa Alif Atoll. Following the collective conservation efforts, Batonbearer and environmental advocate Hashim Aboobakur talked to the community about the importance of preserving the local eco-system. He highlighted the need to adapt to a proper waste management system and to renewable energy sources.
Ama Agbeze, former England netball captain and Birmingham 2022 board member, was also involved in the Queen’s Baton Relay activities and she inspired local school children with words of wisdom on how she stays motivated.
The final event of the weekend was an incredible sports festival including water polo, kite boarding, aquatic Zumba, Bokkura race in a Maldivian traditional boat, beach volleyball, and bashi - one of the most popular sports in the Maldives.
Bashi is played on a tennis-like court with a player serving 12 balls facing with their back to the net, and, usually, eight opponents on the other side try to catch them out. The winner is the team who serves the most uncaught balls.
