The journey has taken 100 days and has seen the Baton travel to all 22 provinces in Papua New Guinea.

The event held to mark the last day of the Relay here today was attended by various dignitaries, including Port Moresby Governor Powes Parkop and Oil Search managing director Peter Botten, who both carried the Baton around the Stadium.

As well as the officials, local residents also came out to see the event, supported by live music and a general feel of excitement as the official start of the Pacific Games draws closer.

The Baton entered the arena and was greeted by local traditional Papua New Guinean dancers, followed by children carrying the flags of all 24 participating nations, including Australia and New Zealand for the first time.

More than 1,000 children then sang a stirring rendition of John Lennon’s famous hit Imagine as the Baton’s voyage came to an end.

Many of the children benefit from UNICEF schemes in the country and they will also take part in the Just Play initiative, where they will be given a ball, a coach and a safe place to play sport during the Games.

“By bringing together the worlds of sport and music at the opening of the XV Pacific Games, UNICEF hopes to raise global and regional awareness of the importance of children’s rights,” Baba Danbappa, the UNICEF representative in Papua New Guinea, said.

The song itself represents UNICEF’S #IMAGINE project, launched on November 20 last year at the UN General Assembly to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Convention of the Rights on the Child.

Recorded contributions to the song, including that sung by the children here today, will form part of a collaborative record, produced by Yoko Ono and David Guetta, which will be released globally later this year.

Related stories
April 2015: Pacific Games Relay gets underway as countdown to event continues