The Baton had been due to arrive in the Indian Ocean island chain last night from Sri Lanka's capital Colombo and stay for two days.

But, as a result of fresh political unrest following a forced postponement to the proposed Presidential election last Saturday (October 19), the visit was shortened to just two hours.

The Baton was greeted at Malé International Airport by members of the Swimming Association of the Maldives as well as representative of the Maldives Olympic Committee to whom a granite "gemstone" from the Baton was presented by Glasgow 2014.

The Baton then departed and it has now arrived in Singapore for the next leg of its journey two days ahead of schedule.

Young members from the Swimming Association of the Maldives held the baton when it briefly arrived for its shortened visit to the country


The fresh turmoil in the Maldives is the latest episode in a long term period of unrest.

Following 30 years of autocratic rule Mohamed Nasheed was elected President in the nation's first ever democratically held elections in 2008.

Yet in February 2012 he was allegedly forced to resign at gunpoint in what was described as a coup by a combination of demonstrators, police and armed forces, with his former deputy Mohammed Waheed Hassan assuming control.

Nasheed remained an opposition figure and in elections held in September received 45 per cent of the vote to Waheed's five per cent before the result was annulled by the Supreme Court subject to an inquiry despite widespread international praise of the electoral conduct.

New elections were set for Saturday but were prevented by force when police surrounded the secretariat of the Elections Commission,

This move has been heavily condemned internationally, including by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, while thousands of Nasheed's supporters spilled out onto the street to voice their protests.

New dates have now been set for November 9 but with tension levels high it was decided to cut short the Queen's Baton Relay visit.

Former President and favoured candidate Mohamed Nasheed speaks to reporters ahead of the latest cancellation


A spokesperson from Glasgow 2014 confirmed to insidethegames that the Baton is now in Singapore and that the risks of continuing the scheduled visit outweighed any costs resulting from cutting it short.

This was followed by a statement which confirmed that "the Queen's Baton Relay programme in the Maldives was developed in collaboration with the Maldives Olympics Association".

"Engagement with any host nation or territory can be subject to change dependent on local circumstances at the time of the visit," it added.

"The Maldives Olympic Committee's Executive Committee, Senior Executives of National Sports Associations and athletes from the Youth and Sports Development Centre welcomed the Queen's Baton, ensuring the Maldives had the opportunity to be part of the special journey the baton is making to every nation and territory of the Commonwealth. "

"The complexity of the 288-day Queen's Baton Relay journey requires contingencies occasionally to be made."

The Baton's arrival in Singapore is announced this morning following its shortened visit to Maldives



It marks the latest problem for the Baton relay after a series of issues on the opening Asian leg of its tour after the launching Ceremony by The Queen at Buckingham Palace in London earlier this month.

Firstly, plans for Indian athletes to run round the streets with the Baton had to be scrapped because the event clashed with the Dussehra festival, a major event in the Hindu calendar.

In Pakistan a ceremony was then snubbed by the Government because of a row about who has authority for Olympic sports in the country.

Further changes also lie ahead due to the fact that The Gambia, who the Baton was scheduled to visit over New Year to begin its African leg, have now withdrawn from the Commonwealth and will no longer participate.