Countdown On To The 2018 Commonwealth Games

23 November 2016

Sunday 20 November marked the 500 day countdown to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).

Queensland’s Gold Coast , celebrated with the unveiling of the Queen’s Baton and the announcement of the international route for the Queen’s Baton Relay.

Carrying a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that calls the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition, the Baton will start from London in March 2017 and visit the six Commonwealth regions of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

“Presenting the Queen’s Baton to the world is a major milestone in the GC2018 journey," said Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) Chairman, Peter Beattie AC.

“In less than 500 days, the Gold Coast will host 11 days of unforgettable world-class sporting competition.

“The Queen’s Baton will play an important role in connecting people from around the world, building excitement for the Games,” Mr Beattie said.

When it arrives on the Gold Coast for the opening ceremony on 4 April 2018 the Queen’s message will be read aloud to officially open the Games.

Australia’s Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism, The Hon. Steven Ciobo MP said GC2018 would be the biggest international sporting event staged in Australia for a decade and the largest ever hosted by the Gold Coast.

“Major events like this are significant drivers of tourism and are key to supporting jobs and the economy,” he said.

More than 6,600 athletes and team officials from 70 Commonwealth nations and territories will share in the excitement of the Games which are expected to attract a worldwide TV audience of more than 1.5 billion people and bring more than 100,000 visitors to the Gold Coast.

Tourism Australia is the Official Tourism Authority of GC2018 and the Queens Baton Relay – International Sector. In collaboration with Federal and State Government including Tourism Events Queensland and Gold Coast Tourism, Tourism Australia is also working to maximise the international tourism related benefits of hosting the Commonwealth Games.

“As the Baton shares its journey with every Commonwealth nation and territory, it will put the Gold Coast, Queensland and Australia on the global stage,” said John O’Sullivan, Tourism Australia Managing Director.

The GC2018’s social channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – are sharing updates of activity using the tags #GC2018 and #ShareTheDream. In addition, the official mascot of the games, Borobi, is sharing content on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and fans can share content with Borobi using the tag #Borobi2018.

The official 2018 Commonwealth Games web site is www.gc2018.com and more information about the Queen’s Baton Relay is available at www.gc2018.com/qbr.