Ghana has named 17-year-old judoka Frema Agyei as the country’s flag bearer for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, handing the rising star of judo one of sport’s proudest honours as she prepares to compete in the women’s 57kg category.
The announcement places Agyei at the head of Team Ghana’s delegation as the country’s athletes march into the opening ceremony, a role that recognises both her achievements on the mat and her standing as one of the most promising young talents to emerge from Ghana’s judo programme in recent years.
Agyei, who trains and studies in south London, qualified for Glasgow 2026 on the back of a string of strong performances that have marked her out as one of the beacon’s of the sport
The teenager’s road to Glasgow was not without setbacks. Agyei battled a torn wrist ligament and a resulting cyst that threatened to derail her preparations, before treatment allowed her to return to full training in time to secure her Commonwealth Games place.
She has credited her medical team, her coach, and the backing of her school for helping her push through the setback and arrive in Glasgow in peak condition.
Beyond Glasgow, Agyei is also chasing a spot at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic-branded event ever to be staged on African soil, underlining the scale of the year ahead for the young star.
Agyei is part of Team Ghana contingent built around 40 athletes competing across nine disciplines at this year’s Games: athletics, para athletics, boxing, cycling, judo, para powerlifting, para swimming, swimming, and weightlifting.
In judo, Agyei is joined on the squad by Elizabeth Oduro, who competes in the 63kg category and has been benefiting from an Olympic Solidarity scholarship programme ahead of Glasgow.
The Ghana Judo Association has expressed confidence that both athletes carry genuine podium potential based on their current international rankings.
Ghana’s Commonwealth Games Association has said the squad will receive enhanced technical and sports science support in the build-up to Glasgow, part of a broader push to improve the country’s medal returns from recent editions of the Games.
Ghana has competed at every Commonwealth Games since 1954, and the honour of flag bearer has historically gone to athletes seen as embodying the spirit and ambition of the delegation.
In naming a 17-year-old judoka to lead the team into Glasgow, Ghana signals its growing investment in developing young talent across disciplines beyond the country’s traditional strongholds of athletics and boxing.