Ghana ready for Commonwealth Games

The 20th Commonwealth Games open today in Glasgow with Ghana joining 71 other countries to compete for honours over two weeks. Ghana is presenting a contingent of 89 athletes for the Games to be held from July 23 to August 4.

At this year’s Games, Ghana will be breaking new grounds by competing in 12 disciplines, including track and road cycling, triathlon, shooting, swimming, in addition to traditional sports such as table tennis, power lifting, badminton, boxing, weightlifting and athletics.

The Commonwealth Games, arguably the third largest multi-sport event worldwide after the Olympics and Asian Games, involves athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations and was first held in 1930.

This year’s event will see athletes compete in 21 different sporting disciplines. 

Since Ghana’s maiden appearance at the 1954 Games in Vancouver, the country has won a total of 55 medals, comprising 15gold, 18 silver and 22 bronze medals. At the last Games in New Delhi in 2010, Ghana won one silver and three bronze medals.

Some of the medal winners from Delhi 2010 Games, Anita Fordjour (1,500m wheelchair race) and sprinters Beatrice Gyaman and Janet Amponsah, will team up with Flings Owusu-Agyapong and Gemma Acheampong for the women’s 4x100m relay where Ghana hopes to improve upon the bronze medal won four years ago.

Over the years, countries such as Australia, England, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa, among other nations have been dominant forces at the Commonwealth Games, while athletes from Kenya, Jamaica and Nigeria have also shown class in recent years.

Team Ghana: 35 female athletes, 54 male athletes