Brunei's top marathon runner,
Selfi Ahar (left), and national
swimmer Christian Nickles (above)
will also carry the baton.
Picture: BT
NATIONAL lawn bowls athlete Abd Rahman Hj Omar has been given the honour of being the final baton bearer for Wednesday's Queen's Baton Relay 2010 Delhi.
The prelude to the Commonwealth Games, the relay started from Buckingham Palace on Oct 29 last year and Abd Rahman has been entrusted to carry the baton for the last leg in Brunei from Budiman Walk to the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Berakas.
Competing in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, Abd Rahman and Pg Md Salleh Chuchu Pg Hj Tuah placed 17th in a field of 21 competitors in the men's pairs.
The 7th Asia Lawn Bowls Championships in China in 2008 was a more productive outing for the 43-year-old player, winning gold in the men's pairs and silver in the men's singles.
Abd Rahman also finished on top of the podium in the men's pairs event during the 6th Asian Lawn Bowls Championship held in Kuala Lumpur in 2007.
The penultimate checkpoint on the list of 16, Abd Rahman will be accompanied at Budiman Walk by 409 pupils from nine schools.
Abd Rahman has the responsibility of handing the baton to His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah, the president of the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council, who is then expected to pass the baton to a representative of Malaysia the host country for the next Queen's Baton Relay.
Similar to the Olympic Torch relay, the baton will travel across 71 countries before arriving in New Delhi for the opening ceremony of the 19th Commonwealth Games on Oct 3.
Brunei is the 65th stop.
The baton kicked off its Asia journey in Singapore, where it arrived yesterday.
The Sultanate will welcome the baton from the city-state next Tuesday.
Also on the list of baton bearers in the relay, which His Royal Highness Prince Hj Sufri Bolkiah is expected to launch at the Yayasan Sultan Hj Hassanal Bolkiah Complex in the capital, is 2009 Laos Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medallist Hj Md Khairul Bahrin Hj Duraman.
He will receive the baton at the 12th checkpoint the Legislative Council building from national karatedo exponent Fida'y Hj Sanif, who also saw action during last year's SEA Games.
Brunei's top marathon runner, Selfi Ahar, will carry the baton from the Bandar Seri Begawan firestation and pass it to Mohd Fathullah Mohd Taib at the 10th checkpoint, which is along Jln Sekolah.
Mohd Fathullah represented the country in taekwondo in Laos.
National swimmer Christian Nickles will be in charge of the baton from the Jln Elizabeth II clocktower to the Royal Regalia building.
The 12-year-old swimmer broke six national records in the 11-12 years old Age Group at the 8th Asean Inter-Club Swimming Championship in April.
Competing in all 10 events in his age group, he finished with a haul of three gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
The eight Commonwealth countries which have high commissions in the country Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore and the United Kingdom will also be represented during the event.
The National Sports Schools Council and athletes with special needs will also be in the relay, making their presence felt at the 13th and 14th checkpoints the entrance to Commonwealth Drive and the International Conference Centre respectively.
Members of the public in the Sultanate are invited to join during any part of the relay.
Courtesy from Brunei Times
