Mumbai: Commonwealth Games Organising
Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi, who has been battling
various charges of corruption in the lead-up to next month's
mega-event, would be on his home turf of Pune on Thursday to
receive the Queen's Baton when it reaches the city.
Among the prominent yesteryear sportspersons who would
take part in the Baton Relay in Pune are Olympians - boxer
Manoj Pingle, hockey player Ajit Lakra, marathoner Balkrishan
Akodkar and wrestler Maruti Adkar, a release said today.
Former tennis players Gaurav Natekar and Nitin Kirtane,
ex-wrestler Kaka Pawar and former boxers Harishchandra
Birajdar and Gopal Devang are also set to take part.
Pune district Zilla Parishad President Savita Dagde will
receive the baton along with the state District Collector on
the border of Pune district near Sarola village.
The main function is to take place at the Bharti
Vidyapeeth where Pune MP and Kalmadi, also the Indian Olympic
Association chief, would be present to welcome the Baton, the
release said.
The Pune leg would mark the 76th day of the 100-day QBR
journey in India.
The Relay had commenced mid-August in Hyderabad and has
already covered Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andaman-Nicobar
Islands, Lakshadweep, Kerala and Karnataka before entering
Maharashtra through Kolhapur.
The Baton will travel to Mumbai by sea on September 10
before carrying on with its onward journey and reach Vadodara
in Gujarat on September 13.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, September 08, 2010, 21:36