Minister of Education YB Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman, Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Nicola Rosenblum and British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam David Campbell with other officials at the event. – PHOTOS: DEAN KASSIM
Students wave miniature flags at the event
THE Queen’s Baton Relay, which will travel around the world prior to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, will pass through Brunei Darussalam in October.
Australian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Nicola Rosenblum yesterday revealed this in her remarks during an event to mark Commonwealth Week in Brunei Darussalam, held at the Sports School.
Minister of Education YB Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Suyoi bin Haji Osman was the guest of honour at the event.
British High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam David Campbell, high commissioners from Commonwealth nations to Brunei Darussalam, as well as officials from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports also attended the event.
Rosenblum expressed excitement in welcoming athletes of the Commonwealth, including Brunei Darussalam, to Gold Coast next year.
“The games tie nations of the Commonwealth together through peaceful and friendly competition. Australia is proud that the Queen’s Baton Relay for the 2018 Games will be the longest and most diverse in the games’ history, visiting all nations and territories of the Commonwealth during its 388 day journey.
“The High Commission looks forward to working with the Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Committee to welcome the Queen’s Baton Relay to Brunei in October this year,” she said.
Campbell, in his opening remarks, touched on the Commonwealth, its values and the Commonwealth Day theme, ‘A peace building Commonwealth’.
“As members of the Commonwealth family, we should be thankful for the inheritance received from those before us. Through consensus and cooperation, great things have been achieved,” he said.
“We can find further reward and fulfilment by continuing to collaborate with others in a spirit of goodwill to build a peaceful and abundant future for all Commonwealth citizens,” he added.
Her Majesty the Queen officially launched the Queen’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day – March 13. It will travel to 71 countries and across over 200,000 miles before reaching the Gold Coast.
The day also saw a talk and sharing session by four Brunei Commonwealth Games athletes, followed by a questions-and-answers session moderated by Sports School Assistant Principal (Sports) Azrin bin Aji.
The athletes are Muhammad I’maadi bin Abdul Aziz who represented Brunei Darussalam at the 2014 Commonwealth Games; Muhammad ‘Ammar Safwan bin Haji Zaidin and Ernie Sahrina binti Abdul Fattah who represented Brunei at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games; and Muhd Wafiq bin Kepli.
