Bermuda will take part in Commonwealth Sport’s inaugural King’s Baton Relay to herald the start of the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

After starting the relay in Trinidad & Tobago today, the baton makes its way through the Caribbean to Africa (15 June to 24 October), Asia (25 October to 21 December), Oceania (2 January to 26 March, 2026) and the Americas (27 March to 6 May 2026), with the relay set to arrive in Bermuda in June next year.

King Charles officially launched the relay at Buckingham Palace on Monday, which was Commonwealth Day, handing the baton to Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy, who announced recently that he had been given a diagnosis of terminal cancer..

The King’s Baton Relay for Glasgow 2026 has been reimagined with each of the 74 Commonwealth nations and territories receiving their own baton for the first time. The object, crafted in Glasgow, and simpler than past museum-style batons will allow Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) to decorate their batons and showcase their own culture, creativity and vision.

Batons can be painted, carved, or crafted by artists, athletes or schools and as simple or sophisticated as they choose.

The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year will be smaller than previous events after the city stepped in to host in at the last minute when Victoria, Australia, withdrew from hosting for financial reasons.

Just ten sports will be featured in Glasgow, with the decision to cut triathlon and road cycling set to hit the Bermuda squad hard with Erica Hawley, Tyler Smith, Kaden Hopkins, Conor White and Nic Narraway all no longer getting the chance to feature on of the biggest international stages.