Its painted design portrays the nation’s four cultural zones: Sudano Sahelian of the north, Fang Beti of the central and southern forest regions, Sawa of the coastal areas, and Grassfields of the western highlands, celebrating the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Over the next four days the Baton travelled to Douala, combining official ceremonies with youth activities and an environmental clean-up along the River Wouri.
The Relay opened in Yaoundé with a formal presentation at the British Residence, where the Deputy British High Commissioner handed the Baton to Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum, President of the Commonwealth Games Association of Cameroon.
From there it was taken to several ministries, including External Relations, Sports and Physical Education, Youth Affairs and Civic Education, and Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development. At each location the ceremony concluded with a signing on the Baton, attended by ministry staff and invited guests.
On 23 July the Baton travelled by road to Douala. Local authorities, including the city mayor and traditional chiefs, welcomed it with speeches and cultural performances.
In holiday sports camps, children paused their football and athletics training to gather around the Baton, eager to hear about its history, the role of the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Sport, and the work of CGA Cameroon. They learned how the Baton’s journey links nations and territories, and how young athletes can take part in Commonwealth programmes.
The sessions were interactive, with the children asking questions and sharing their own sporting ambitions.
The final day in Douala, 25 July, focused on community action. Around three hundred people joined a city-wide fitness walk, carrying the Baton in turns through the streets. This was followed by a large-scale plastic collection on the banks of the Wouri River, where about one hundred participants collected three thousand seven hundred pieces of plastic, weighing approximately seventy kilograms. The activity formed part of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign and added to the growing total of waste removed from rivers and beaches across the Relay route.
Across the three days in Douala the programme also featured cultural performances, aerobic sessions, traditional dances and a beach wrestling tournament at Ngondo Beach. A closing banquet brought together community leaders, organisers and partners to celebrate the success of the visit.
A total of twenty-five batonbearers took part in Cameroon, all of whom were former athletes from sports including football, athletics, and weightlifting, with several having represented the nation on the international stage. Their presence underlined the connection between sport, community and the values of the Commonwealth.
While the Relay continues across Africa, Cameroon’s Baton will remain at CGA Cameroon headquarters in Yaoundé until the 2026 Games where the Baton's from all nations and territories will be reunited in Glasgow.
