II will pass through more than 50,000 hands as it makes its way around the city.

There are just more than five months to go until the first European Championships - and school pupils won a competition to design a torch that will tour the city.

Laiba Naeem, Keira Groves and Maryam Waseem of Shawlands Academy created the Glasgow 2018 Schools’ Sports Star.

Containing a special message from Lord Provost Eva Bolander, the star will travel to every Glasgow school to build excitement ahead of the Championships.

Ms Bolander said: “What a lovely competition for the girls to win – I love not only the simplicity of the design but how they have managed to slot it all together.

“Wonderful engineering at its best and what an honour that so many children and young children will get the opportunity to be part of this special moment of their own by the baton passing through their hands.

“Congratulations to all who took part in the competition and I hope you enjoy the 2018 School Sport Star as much as I have welcoming it into the City Chambers today.”

The 2018 School Sport Star was made from reclaimed ash wood from a tree in a Glasgow park that suffered wind damage.

It was hand made by Shawlands Academy technology teacher Brian Kennedy - a former cabinet maker - from the design created by the three S2 girls.

The competition - open to all Glasgow secondary school technology departments - was launched last year to challenge young designers to create a unique object that will become synonymous with the 2018 sporting event in city schools.

Almost 150 designs were received and the winning design - made from reclaimed wood from Glasgow parks and donated from Community Safety Glasgow - is a simple and symbolic interpretation of the internationally recognised Glasgow 2018 logo.

The baton will be off on its travels around the city’s 300 schools and nurseries and school sporting events.

Runners up in the design completion were Keegan Clark from St Andrew’s Secondary in second place and Vhairi Wallace from Bannerman High School taking third place.

Glasgow 2018 Championships Director Colin Hartley said: “The talent shown across all entries has been very impressive and we are thrilled to have such a wonderful, winning design as our Glasgow 2018 School Sport Star."

Lord Provost Glasgow 2018 European Championships School Sport Star Message

I am delighted as the Lord Provost of Glasgow to include this special message in this unique Glasgow 2018 School Sport Star – what an honour to be part of history in the making!

By holding this special star this is your chance to be part of #themoment.

It’s so exciting for every pupil in the city to get the chance to hold a small part of history and celebrate the wonderful first multi-sport European Championships being hosted by our wonderful city in August 2018.

I would also like to extend a hand of friendship to the citizens of Berlin who are co-hosts. Glasgow 2018 will bring more than 3000 of the best athletes in Europe across six individual sports (Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon) and Berlin will stage Athletics in their city.

Danke unseren deutschen Freunden – thank you our German friends.

Taking part in sports and keeping active is very important for a healthy lifestyle and I hope that the legacy of Glasgow 2018 European Championships will be to encourage to all our children and young people to try a new sport.

The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Councillor Eva Bolander

March 2018