The country will receive the Baton tomorrow, becoming the 65^th of the 71 destinations visited in the countdown to next year’s Commonwealth Games.

Sir John Dawanincura believes the Baton Relay provides an opportunity to promote the nation, as well as building interest in next year’s Games.

“Hosting the Queen’s Baton Relay is not only an exciting event for Papua New Guinea,” he said.

“The Relay is an opportunity to highlight and promote our country through international media interest.”

The Baton will arrive in the capital city Port Moresby, before travelling through to Kimbe via the New Britain Palm Oil Plantation and Muthuvel Stadium.

It will feature at the Closing Ceremony of the Kimbe Papua New Guinea Games.

“We look forward to seeing the Baton arrive on PNG shores and having it visit Kimbe for the closing ceremony of the PNG Games,” said Auvita Rapilla, PNGCGA secretary general.

“It will allow our athletes from across the country to be a part of this fantastic occasion.”

The Baton will then head back to Port Moresby for a series of high profile events, including a school sports event and a reception hosted by the Australian High Commission.

Papua New Guinea’s Governor General will host a sunset reception on Monday (December 4), before the Baton departs for the Solomon Islands.

It will arrive in Papua New Guinea having recently spent time in Samoa and Tuvalu as part of its tour of Oceania.

The Baton will leave the Solomon Islands on December 9 and head to Vanuatu, Norfolk Island and New Zealand.

It will eventually arrive in Australia on Christmas Eve to begin a 100-day tour across the nation, concluding at the Games' Opening Ceremony.

The Baton Relay was launched during Commonwealth Day on March 13 in London, where the Queen handed it to the first Batonbearer, Australian track cycling legend Anna Meares.

Prince Charles is due to remove the message placed into the Baton by Queen Elizabeth, during the Opening Ceremony of Gold Coast 2018 on April 4.