Kalmadi to welcome Queen's Baton in Pune tomorrow

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.