Ghana sends record team of 28 athletes to Commonwealth Games Glasgow

Ghana will send its largest-ever Commonwealth Games contingent to Glasgow this October — twenty-eight athletes across seven sporting disciplines — with a target of at least six medals that would represent the country’s best Games performance since the Delhi edition in 2010.nnThe team, announced by the Ghana Olympic Committee at a press conference in Accra, includes Leticia Agyepong (athletics), who will contest the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay following her African record-breaking run in Lausanne; six boxers including defending 60kg champion Samuel Takyi; four weightlifters; two swimmers; and for the first time, a two-athlete para-athletics squad.nnGhana Olympic Committee president Ben Nunoo Mensah described the squad as the most balanced and competitive Ghana had assembled for any multi-discipline international event. “We have genuine medal prospects in athletics, boxing and weightlifting. We also have athletes competing in disciplines where Ghana has never medalled, which tells you something about where we are heading,” he said.nnHead of delegation and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ignatius Gaisah acknowledged that the athletics team faced the toughest competition — world-class opposition from Jamaica, Great Britain, Australia and Canada — but expressed particular confidence in Agyepong’s prospects following her Lausanne performance.nnThe Ghana contingent departs for Glasgow on September 29 and will stay at the Athletes’ Village in the east end of the city. Opening ceremony duties will be shared between Agyepong, who carries the flag, and boxer Takyi, who will be the flag bearer for the closing ceremony as is tradition for defending champions.nnCorporate sponsors have pledged a combined GH¢2.4 million in medal bonuses: GH¢100,000 for gold, GH¢60,000 for silver and GH¢40,000 for bronze.