KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, has welcomed the Queen’s Baton Relay to Jamaica with the hope that Jamaica will get another opportunity to host the Commonwealth Games.

The Queen’s Baton Relay takes place across the world prior to the Commonwealth Games. It carries the message of Queen Elizabeth II.

Jamaica is the 12th Caribbean country and 31st country overall to welcome the baton on its global relay, which will cover 230-thousand kilometres on a journey of 388 days.

Grange said Jamaica is pleased to participate in the Queen’s Baton Relay as a proud member of the Commonwealth.

She added that “our country has had a proud record in the Commonwealth Games — winning more than 130 medals from 16 games to be ranked 12th on the all-time medal tally. We hope to, one day, host the Games again and welcome our brothers and sisters from across the Commonwealth to our beautiful island.”

The minister revealed that Jamaica would be bidding to host major International Sports and Cultural events and that the Bidding Committee, led by Mike Fennel, former President of the Jamaica Olympic Association, was looking at the possibility of hosting the Commonwealth Games.

Jamaica once hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1966, the only time that the Caribbean has ever hosted the Games.