:00:00. > :00:00.The Queen's Baton Relay, launched at Buckingham Palace,
:00:07. > :00:09.is taking a special message from Her Majesty
:00:10. > :00:13.on an incredible journey around the Commonwealth.
:00:14. > :00:17.Before that message is read out at the start of the Commonwealth Games
:00:18. > :00:21.in Glasgow next July, it will touch lives around the world.
:00:22. > :00:31.And it will symbolise what unites the diverse,
:00:32. > :00:35.exotic and dynamic community of the Commonwealth.
:00:36. > :00:42.Adventurer Mark Beaumont is following the route of the baton.
:00:43. > :00:48.There are 70 nations and territories. 70.
:00:49. > :00:53.On this truly global journey, he'll meet characters and communities.
:00:54. > :00:58.He'll visit the modern and the traditional.
:00:59. > :01:03.And on the way he'll try to capture the spirit of today's Commonwealth.
:01:04. > :01:18.A Commonwealth united by the Queen's Baton Relay.
:01:19. > :01:21.The first stop on this epic journey is India,
:01:22. > :01:27.a country that contains almost a fifth of the world's population.
:01:28. > :01:30.This is the first time the Queen's Baton Relay has returned to
:01:31. > :01:36.Delhi since the city hosted the last Commonwealth Games in 2010.
:01:37. > :01:44.the relay picks up pace as it's taken from Delhi to Agra
:01:45. > :01:52.Wherever the baton goes, huge crowds of photographers
:01:53. > :01:59.It's a powerful reminder of India's moment in the spotlight
:02:00. > :02:04.It's obviously a huge source of excitement.
:02:05. > :02:08.Hundreds and hundreds of people have already got a chance to touch it,
:02:09. > :02:11.to get photographed with it, even to see it.
:02:12. > :02:13.That's electric. It's just so exciting.
:02:14. > :02:19.I think that that pace is also just a reflection of the pace of life here.
:02:20. > :02:24.Of Delhi. It's just an amazingly busy, busy place.
:02:25. > :02:28.But with a travel schedule that averages three countries a week,
:02:29. > :02:33.there isn't much time to pause and reflect.
:02:34. > :02:40.the relay travels to Dhaka in Bangladesh for a two-day visit.
:02:41. > :02:43.And from there to Lahore in Pakistan.
:02:44. > :02:46.But the baton arrives on one of the most important days
:02:47. > :02:56.It's a national holiday. You can really feel it.
:02:57. > :03:00.There's a wonderful sense of celebration.
:03:01. > :03:04.Lots of different athletes and organisers from lots of sports.
:03:05. > :03:08.In the background is one of the world's largest mosques.
:03:09. > :03:15.I mean, it's the perfect setting to welcome the baton to Pakistan.
:03:16. > :03:18.It's a country with a proud sporting tradition.
:03:19. > :03:23.Especially when it comes to the Commonwealth Games.
:03:24. > :03:26.So it's an honour for me to be handed over the baton.
:03:27. > :03:29.You know, it has the Queen's message in it.
:03:30. > :03:32.Every athlete wants to be a part of it.
:03:33. > :03:37.What is your involvement in the Games?
:03:38. > :03:42.I am in karate. I am the national team coach of Pakistan.
:03:43. > :03:47.I feel proud. Especially I feel proud about this moment.
:03:48. > :03:50.Amongst the athletes who have come to greet the baton is one
:03:51. > :03:56.with a special connection to next year's host nation - Scotland.
:03:57. > :04:00.Abdul Ghafoor won Pakistan's first Commonwealth weightlifting medal
:04:01. > :04:05.at the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games against tough opposition.
:04:06. > :04:11.His two sons plan to follow in his footsteps.
:04:12. > :04:14.In 1970, what was your greatest competition?
:04:15. > :04:28.Do either of the sons plan to be in Glasgow next year?
:04:29. > :04:40.and they will most probably be participating.
:04:41. > :04:46.it's time to head to the next stop on this extraordinary journey.
:04:47. > :04:56.It's a country that's emerging from decades of civil war.
:04:57. > :05:02.politicians continue to debate the nation's troubled past.
:05:03. > :05:04.But for the people who have come to welcome the baton,
:05:05. > :05:09.the focus is very much on celebrating the future.
:05:10. > :05:13.Home to around a million people, the capital city of Colombo is
:05:14. > :05:19.also the starting point for the Viceroy Special.
:05:20. > :05:21.This steam engine may have been built in Britain,
:05:22. > :05:25.but it was restored by Sri Lankan enthusiasts.
:05:26. > :05:28.It still runs the same 80-mile journey from Colombo
:05:29. > :05:36.on the coast to the tea plantations of Kandy in central Sri Lanka.
:05:37. > :05:41.But instead of tea, today the train is carrying a very special cargo.
:05:42. > :05:44.The fact a reception like this is happening in a train station
:05:45. > :05:47.on the journey across Sri Lanka, I think
:05:48. > :05:51.it's added to by the fact that it's incredibly humid,
:05:52. > :05:57.the sound of the steam train with this music over the top of it.
:05:58. > :06:14.As the train winds its way up into the Sri Lankan highlands,
:06:15. > :06:17.every stop sees hundreds of inquisitive people
:06:18. > :06:23.This is a small town here. It feels like a big festival.
:06:24. > :06:28.Very small town, but very big festival here.
:06:29. > :06:33.Why is it important to you, why is it important to Sri Lankan people?
:06:34. > :06:36.The thing is, our country is going to the world.
:06:37. > :06:41.The world knows what is Sri Lanka, who is the Sri Lankan people,
:06:42. > :06:49.For many, this is the chance to give a true Sri Lankan welcome.
:06:50. > :06:52.While others are just curious to find out what all of the fuss is about.
:06:53. > :07:01.It travels to here and every Commonwealth country.
:07:02. > :07:06.There are 70 nations and territories. 70.
:07:07. > :07:16.For one man, this journey is the culmination
:07:17. > :07:20.of a lifetime's passion for steam and history.
:07:21. > :07:23.Many people aspire to owning a nice car.
:07:24. > :07:26.Well, this man here, Hemasiri Fernando,
:07:27. > :07:36.I think I am probably the greatest train enthusiast in my country.
:07:37. > :07:40.I want to do something for the future generations.
:07:41. > :07:43.I'm so happy that I could create this train
:07:44. > :07:49.and preserve full steam locomotive in the past.
:07:50. > :07:53.The original railways here linking to the central parts of Sri Lanka,
:07:54. > :07:59.Before the railway came in, it took 12 days
:08:00. > :08:03.for the transportation of tea from Kandy to Colombo.
:08:04. > :08:08.The powerful group of planters in Sri Lanka demanded that they need
:08:09. > :08:14.a faster mode of transportation to send their tea to Colombo Harbour.
:08:15. > :08:21.There has been a great festival, a great party every time
:08:22. > :08:25.the train has stopped today, and lots and lots of children.
:08:26. > :08:29.What are children in Sri Lanka told about the Commonwealth?
:08:30. > :08:36.still the children they have a great respect for the Queen.
:08:37. > :08:40.They know about the Queen and the United Kingdom.
:08:41. > :08:43.It is very easy to motivate and convince
:08:44. > :08:51.these young schoolchildren to come for a reception like that.
:08:52. > :08:54.The train's route takes it through towns and villages,
:08:55. > :09:00.For nearly 30 years, this country was gripped by a long
:09:01. > :09:06.It's a conflict that hasn't just impacted
:09:07. > :09:10.the lives of the people who live here, but the wildlife as well.
:09:11. > :09:14.The train ride's stopped off here at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
:09:15. > :09:18.It's wonderful to see this because each of these elephants have
:09:19. > :09:21.been affected by contact with humans in some way.
:09:22. > :09:26.A lot of Sri Lanka is now farmland, so through invading crops
:09:27. > :09:30.or two have even been affected by land mines
:09:31. > :09:34.just left in the countryside here over the years of conflict.
:09:35. > :09:40.Whilst they are in captivity, it's a vast area.
:09:41. > :09:50.Over 1,000 elephants were killed during the height of the war
:09:51. > :09:58.They're an iconic part of Sri Lanka's rich wildlife.
:09:59. > :10:13.Orphanages like this one are vital to the populations recovery.
:10:14. > :10:20.the baton's next stop is the tiny island nation of the Maldives.
:10:21. > :10:24.And it's arrived at a difficult time.
:10:25. > :10:28.This tropical paradise is in the middle of an electoral dispute,
:10:29. > :10:32.which has sparked unrest in the capital city of Male.
:10:33. > :10:38.In this tense atmosphere, the baton makes a flying visit.
:10:39. > :10:41.This may well be the shortest stop off
:10:42. > :10:44.for the Queen's baton on its whole Commonwealth journey.
:10:45. > :10:47.At the moment in the Maldives the real focus
:10:48. > :10:51.is on the political electoral process and so instead,
:10:52. > :10:53.members of the Commonwealth Committee, lots of children
:10:54. > :10:56.and some of the Maldivian athletes have come to the airport
:10:57. > :11:02.before we head straight on to our next destination - Singapore.
:11:03. > :11:05.Amongst the athletes who have come to see the baton
:11:06. > :11:07.is an extraordinary group of young swimmers.
:11:08. > :11:11.There's something very unusual about this swimming team.
:11:12. > :11:14.Explain to me where you train. In the sea.
:11:15. > :11:23.What do you do when you're swimming along
:11:24. > :11:25.and you see a big fish underneath you?
:11:26. > :11:32.What's it like going from the sea into a swimming pool?
:11:33. > :11:36.but when we switch to the pool it's quite light there.
:11:37. > :11:40.It's easier to swim there sometimes because we go faster.
:11:41. > :11:43.The normal temperature here is around 30 degrees,
:11:44. > :11:47.so it's about the same temperature in the water as well.
:11:48. > :11:51.I can imagine when you're trying to train hard,
:11:52. > :11:56.having warm water isn't always the best because then you're too hot.
:11:57. > :12:00.Yes, but some of us, actually most of us swim at night,
:12:01. > :12:03.so it's a little colder at that time.
:12:04. > :12:07.For international competition, it's not very good to train here,
:12:08. > :12:13.it's the best place to come and train here.
:12:14. > :12:16.Personally, if I was to choose to be a swimmer anyway,
:12:17. > :12:20.But I can also understand what a challenge it is going from
:12:21. > :12:24.swimming in the Indian Ocean to racing on the international stage.
:12:25. > :12:26.But these guys are definitely starting at the right ages.
:12:27. > :12:39...the baton continues its journey east to Singapore.
:12:40. > :12:43.It may have begun life as a sleepy fishing village,
:12:44. > :12:46.but today Singapore is a global powerhouse,
:12:47. > :12:52.and one of the largest commercial cities in Asia.
:12:53. > :12:57.For a small nation sport plays a big part of life here.
:12:58. > :13:03.Expectations of medal success at the Games next year are high.
:13:04. > :13:06.It's a country that punches well above its weight.
:13:07. > :13:10.But as the third most densely populated nation on Earth,
:13:11. > :13:13.one thing it doesn't have is a lot of space.
:13:14. > :13:24.the forest that once covered this small island has shrunk.
:13:25. > :13:28.And to draw attention to this fact, a team of architects has created a
:13:29. > :13:34.series of remarkable structures that has transformed Singapore's skyline.
:13:35. > :13:37.One of the newest additions in Singapore which, in my mind,
:13:38. > :13:39.is the ultimate expression of a modern
:13:40. > :13:44.if not almost futuristic society is man-made trees.
:13:45. > :13:50.Sometimes 16-storey tall super trees.
:13:51. > :13:56.are designed to be almost entirely self-sufficient.
:13:57. > :13:59.Using solar panels to generate their own electricity
:14:00. > :14:03.and harvesting rainwater to nourish the plants that grow on their sides.
:14:04. > :14:07.They stand as a powerful symbol of Singapore's connection
:14:08. > :14:16.on the baton's Commonwealth journey -
:14:17. > :14:22.This Asian giant is an economic heavyweight.
:14:23. > :14:30.Its capital, Kuala Lumpur, is one of the world's most iconic cities.
:14:31. > :14:36.Nestling among the skyscrapers is Kampung Baru,
:14:37. > :14:44.by the British Colonial Administration in 1900,
:14:45. > :14:51.once situated on the outskirts of town.
:14:52. > :14:55.For over 100 years, the city has grown around it.
:14:56. > :14:58.But rather than selling the land to developers,
:14:59. > :15:03.the residents have decided to hold on to their property.
:15:04. > :15:09.Which is now worth an estimated $1.6 billion.
:15:10. > :15:10.The way of life here has been largely
:15:11. > :15:18.Sam Shuradi, who is a senior member of the village council, believes
:15:19. > :15:22.this traditional lifestyle is worth protecting.
:15:23. > :15:25.They know who you come from, where you belong.
:15:26. > :15:29.Your father's name, your mother's name, that kind of thing.
:15:30. > :15:34.This, I think, the spirit we try to... Not say preserve, to maintain.
:15:35. > :15:38.But this isn't just any old day in Kampung Baru.
:15:39. > :15:45.one of the biggest community events of the year.
:15:46. > :15:49.Malaysian weddings are all about spectacle, food,
:15:50. > :16:00.This is Mark. My name's Tina. This is my brother.
:16:01. > :16:07.Today is about the whole community coming together to help
:16:08. > :16:14.Even Mark has a special role in the proceedings.
:16:15. > :16:17.My job is when everyone arrives to give them a gift,
:16:18. > :16:21.Yeah, a token. A token of appreciation.
:16:22. > :16:29.So the plan is for up to 500 people, and then their partners.
:16:30. > :16:34.The preparation is for... 1,000 gifts.
:16:35. > :16:37.That's a big job to hand out 1,000 gifts.
:16:38. > :16:40.Yes. You are going to give it to my auntie.
:16:41. > :16:51.But not to her because she's younger than you. Ah.
:16:52. > :16:54.So what are you meant to do, you're meant to kiss the hand?
:16:55. > :17:08.What's this for? This is a gift to say...? It's a thank you.
:17:09. > :17:12.When people leave the house, the occasion here, they'll say,
:17:13. > :17:17.This sweet is just to say it's something sweet.
:17:18. > :17:21.You hope that you will say something sweet about our programme, right?
:17:22. > :17:26.With up to 1,000 guests, putting on a wedding of this scale
:17:27. > :17:30.presents some interesting logistical challenges.
:17:31. > :17:32.How do you prepare food for 1,000 people?
:17:33. > :17:38.That's an incredible task. One kilo of rice is equivalent to five packs.
:17:39. > :17:46.For 1,000 people we are going to have about 100 chicken.
:17:47. > :17:51.And the 100 chicken is cut into eight pieces.
:17:52. > :17:56.So it's about 800 pieces. It's equivalent to nearly 1,000, right?
:17:57. > :18:07.This is a way of life completely at odds with the busy mega city
:18:08. > :18:14.And for Sam, this wedding is about more than just a party,
:18:15. > :18:19.it's about how this unique place embraces its sense of community.
:18:20. > :18:23.Weddings, the world over, are a celebration of...
:18:24. > :18:26.people coming together, families, communities.
:18:27. > :18:29.So, I mean, this is an amazing thing to see, to witness,
:18:30. > :18:33.because it feels like this is really the heart of the community. Yeah.
:18:34. > :18:36.We always do that. We always give our hand in that kind of thing.
:18:37. > :18:39.What happened, you could go outside Kuala Lumpur,
:18:40. > :18:42.nobody cares, even if you fall down on the street, nobody cares
:18:43. > :18:45.because, "I got a meeting, I got to rush," kind of thing.
:18:46. > :18:48.For us, even the word "meeting" whatever, someone is falling,
:18:49. > :18:51.in an accident, we stop and we help them.
:18:52. > :18:57.These are two or three different lives, I put it that way.
:18:58. > :19:00.Wherever you are in the world, weddings are always a happy occasion.
:19:01. > :19:04.Until today I've never been a stranger, a complete stranger,
:19:05. > :19:09.But I have to say I could not have been made more welcome.
:19:10. > :19:21.This powerful sense of community is a recurring theme
:19:22. > :19:28.And it's something that will be echoed in a wider scale when the
:19:29. > :19:35.Commonwealth nations and territories make their way to Glasgow next year.
:19:36. > :19:38.The next country is the final stop in the Asian leg
:19:39. > :19:46.It may be small but what Brunei lacks in size,
:19:47. > :19:49.it more than makes up for with enthusiasm.
:19:50. > :19:56.Thanks to its vast oil and gas reserves,
:19:57. > :20:00.this is one of the richest nations in the world.
:20:01. > :20:02.It's a country where a new generation
:20:03. > :20:08.And where one woman has come to symbolise a fresh start
:20:09. > :20:12.Who is your best athlete here in Brunei?
:20:13. > :20:20.Maziah Mahusin is already a household name here in Brunei.
:20:21. > :20:24.At 20 years old she is their first female Olympian.
:20:25. > :20:27.This is the end of pretty much a half marathon that the relay
:20:28. > :20:32.has done this morning through to the national stadium.
:20:33. > :20:37.Last year, Maziah broke the national 400m record at the Olympic Games.
:20:38. > :20:41.It was a huge achievement, not least because she is the only
:20:42. > :20:45.international female athlete in the country.
:20:46. > :20:49.It's been a lonely journey for me for the past five years.
:20:50. > :20:54.At first I have this female partner to work with but some of them
:20:55. > :20:58.gained employment so I just keep on training with the guys
:20:59. > :21:03.and the coach was like, "You have to follow the guys, behind..."
:21:04. > :21:11.when you're training with guys who you feel you're always chasing?
:21:12. > :21:13.I do challenge myself more, you know,
:21:14. > :21:21.so when I go to overseas competition I was like, "Oh, I was the slowest."
:21:22. > :21:26.So I think of it like I want to be the fastest also among other
:21:27. > :21:32.countries so that's why I really need to, you know, to train hard,
:21:33. > :21:39.That's why I just have to just ignore the pain
:21:40. > :21:47.with the guys cos they really motivate me.
:21:48. > :21:50.They're like, "Come on, follow me. Push yourself." I was like...
:21:51. > :21:58.The fact that Maziah has battled with a long-term ankle injury
:21:59. > :22:00.makes her achievements all the more remarkable.
:22:01. > :22:03.And it's certainly not going to stop her from embarrassing
:22:04. > :22:24.In just four weeks the baton has covered over 17,000 miles,
:22:25. > :22:30.From Brunei, it heads south to Australia.
:22:31. > :22:47.A city that attracts around ten million tourists a year.
:22:48. > :22:51.It may only be the sixth largest city in the country,
:22:52. > :22:56.Because this is where the Commonwealth Games
:22:57. > :23:06.And it's where Australia plans to prove that the medal
:23:07. > :23:09.disappointment of London 2012 was just a small hiccup
:23:10. > :23:14.in an otherwise impressive sporting history.
:23:15. > :23:18.At the Commonwealth Games, the nation has topped the medal table
:23:19. > :23:27.athletes like 100m hurdler Sally Pearson will need to play
:23:28. > :23:32.Where do you feel your greatest competition comes from?
:23:33. > :23:37.I think Jessica Ennis said she's going to be doing the hurdles.
:23:38. > :23:40.And also Tiffany Porter, who got the bronze medal in the hurdles
:23:41. > :23:44.So, definitely a big push from those two girls
:23:45. > :23:49.The interest in tickets has been absolutely through the roof
:23:50. > :23:52.in Scotland. As an athlete, what's your expectations?
:23:53. > :23:54.I think it's going to be absolutely fantastic.
:23:55. > :23:56.We're struggling to get tickets over here as well.
:23:57. > :24:00.we're on the waiting list for a lot of my hurdles events
:24:01. > :24:02.so it'll be really exciting to see if I can get those tickets
:24:03. > :24:04.for my family to come cos I have a lot of family
:24:05. > :24:07.in England as well, so it would be nice to get them along as well.
:24:08. > :24:14.It's going to be just as exciting as the Olympics in London last year.
:24:15. > :24:17.Once the dust has settled in Scotland,
:24:18. > :24:22.all eyes will turn to the sun-drenched corner down under.
:24:23. > :24:25.And working to turn Australia's medal dreams into reality
:24:26. > :24:28.is former swimming champion Andrew Baildon,
:24:29. > :24:32.who set a Commonwealth record for the 100m freestyle back in 1990.
:24:33. > :24:40.Andrew Baildon does the job for Australia...
:24:41. > :24:44.The Gold Coast games may be five years away but building
:24:45. > :24:48.work on the city's showpiece aquatic centre has already begun.
:24:49. > :24:50.What's the plan over the next four years?
:24:51. > :24:56.Well, we've got the Pan Pacific Games here in August next year,
:24:57. > :24:59.so that'll be the first big event that they will host here
:25:00. > :25:04.So that's why this construction is so far ahead of the Gold Coast,
:25:05. > :25:07.cos they actually, you need it made three, four years ahead of time.
:25:08. > :25:11.That's right and also we've had the global - the financial crisis
:25:12. > :25:15.that everybody's felt and the Gold Coast felt that with tourism.
:25:16. > :25:17.And now with a lot of this infrastructure going in early
:25:18. > :25:22.and it's really helping the Gold Coast economy.
:25:23. > :25:27.It's more than just a swimming pool that Andrew's helping to build,
:25:28. > :25:32.a new generation of Australian swimmers.
:25:33. > :25:37.Amongst them is his 13-year-old son, Flynn.
:25:38. > :25:40.That was pretty impressive. It was tiring, yeah, but it felt good.
:25:41. > :25:43.Do you think there may be a point when you think,
:25:44. > :25:45."Right, Dad, you and me. Let's have you."
:25:46. > :25:49.I hope so, I hope I can give him a bit of a run for his money.
:25:50. > :25:54.Maybe have to change it up and show him how it's done.
:25:55. > :26:00.Would you mind showing me some techniques? Yeah, sure, why not?
:26:01. > :26:04.For Mark, it's off to the children's pool for a quick lesson.
:26:05. > :26:09.We might get Flynn to do a tumble-turn first
:26:10. > :26:14.Yes, just like you're rolling over a barrel.
:26:15. > :26:17.Making sure you put your chin on your chest on the tumble
:26:18. > :26:19.and that you get a good flick over with your feet.
:26:20. > :26:38.For Andrew, this is an opportunity to help develop a whole new
:26:39. > :26:44.And he knows better than most what it takes to become
:26:45. > :26:49.For children that are starting out in a sport at a young age,
:26:50. > :26:53.I think that the important thing is that they enjoy the sport,
:26:54. > :26:56.that we keep the pressure off at an early age,
:26:57. > :27:01.We lead by example and we're great mentors to these children.
:27:02. > :27:06.So that at the appropriate time, when they decide to specialise,
:27:07. > :27:10.and they understand what it takes to become a champion.
:27:11. > :27:15.but also understand the attitude that they have to have
:27:16. > :27:22.towards their given sport and also toward their competitors as well.
:27:23. > :27:25.Gold Coast is entering a new phase in its history as a young,
:27:26. > :27:28.confident city looking to the future.
:27:29. > :27:31.There's a sense of anticipation here.
:27:32. > :27:39.2018 could be their chance to win medal glory on home soil.
:27:40. > :27:42.But there's something else Gold Coast represents -
:27:43. > :27:45.a whole new chapter on this extraordinary journey
:27:46. > :27:51.The first leg of my journey has taken me from mega cities in Asia
:27:52. > :27:54.through to here on the coast of Australia.
:27:55. > :27:58.I've explored the most populated region of the Commonwealth
:27:59. > :28:02.and found an unbelievable momentum in human stories.
:28:03. > :28:06.There's been a real sense of pride in old ways but at the same time
:28:07. > :28:11.this rush to the future, this excitement about all things new.
:28:12. > :28:16.I've also seen a real sense of belonging with the Commonwealth
:28:17. > :28:22.The power of sport to unify people as a sense of friendship.
:28:23. > :28:25.From here, the journey continues, out through the nations
:28:26. > :28:33.Join Mark next month as he continues his epic journey
:28:34. > :28:43.diverse and exotic nations on the planet.
:28:44. > :28:49.And meeting just a few of the friendly locals.
:28:50. > :28:52.All connected by the Queen's Baton Relay.
:28:53. > :29:09.Hello, I'm Riz Lateef with your 90-second update.
:29:10. > :29:13.Police have never seen a case like it. Detectives in London say three
:29:14. > :29:14.women, who were allegedly kept as slaves for 30