Yesterday was the second day of the Queen's Baton in Malta as part of the worldwide relay in the run-up to the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The Queen's Baton Relay is one of the great traditions of the Commonwealth Games. It symbolises the gathering of people from across the 71 nations that form part of the Commonwealth of Nations for the Games, a festival of sport and culture.

The games are organised every four years. The next games will be held in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. The Queen's Baton left Buckingham Palace on 14th March and will travel more than 180,000 kilometres in exactly one year and one day making the relay the longest and most inclusive relay worldwide.

Minister of Education Dr Louis Galea initiated the relay locally at an event in Floriana yesterday morning when he handed the baton to young students in the presence of HE. Richard Palk, Australian High Commissioner and Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco, President of the Malta Olympic Committee.

The students carried the Baton to Castille where they met the Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi and proceeded towards Valletta Wharf where they handed it over to regatta oarsmen who, in turn, crossed the Grand Harbour to St Angelo in Birgu. The relay continued all over the Island, visiting the Australian High Commisssion at Ta' Xbiex before the men's and women's national rugby teams carried it to Sliema, near the Ferries.

The event comes to an end today as the Baton is taken to the Zejtun Schools.