Ninety-seven athletes are due to represent the African nation, in athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, judo, triathlon, squash, weightlifting, table tennis, powerlifting, swimming and hockey.

As the Games provide a lot of opportunities for Ghanaian athletes to compete, they are an important fixture on the country's sporting calendar.

"I think this will be the biggest contingent we will have taken to a competition of this level," said Ghana's Birmingham 2022 Chef de Mission, Frederick Acheampong.

"With the Olympic Games you need a lot to qualify, so normally we are unable to send a lot of athletes.

"But for the Commonwealth Games, because of the open allocation, we are guaranteed at least 40 to 45 athletes competing.

"So, looking at the numbers, it is a competition that we are able to send a lot of athletes to.

"It's very, very big in Ghana."

Acheampong, the treasurer of the Ghana Olympic Committee, has spent time working in England which played a part in his Chef de Mission appointment.

The country has particularly targeted athletics and boxing as sports where they may be able to reach the Birmingham podium, while there are also hopes in swimming and weightlifting.

"Normally for Ghana these are the areas we do well, athletics and boxing in particular," said Acheampong.

"I'm sure we can do something in weightlifting.

"Those are the areas normally we expect medals from."

Ghana will not be able to call upon history-making boxer Samuel Takyi for their Birmingham team.

The featherweight won bronze at Tokyo 2020 last year - securing the country's first Olympic medal for nearly 30 years - but has since turned professional.

Jessie Lartey, who won Ghana's only medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games with bronze at light welterweight, does look set to be in the boxing squad - known as the "Black Bombers" - however.

He will be joined by another Commonwealth medallist in Abdul Omar, who captured flyweight bronze at Glasgow 2014 and is set for a third Games.

American-based Ornella Sathoud will be the sole women's boxer, while athletics could see Tokyo 2020 sprinter Joseph Amoah feature, after his appearance in the 200 metres semi-finals in Japan.

Sprinter Benjamin Azamati, high jumper Abigail Kwarteng and long jumper Deborah Acquah are other hopes in track and field.

Acheampong said that the COVID-19 pandemic had a "massive impact" in Ghana.

"Boxing and other sports, they train at the beach," he said.

"And for a very long time there was a ban on activities there.

"So most of these athletes were unable to train, and beyond that, initially, there was a ban on all sporting activities in Ghana.

"All sporting activities came to a halt for a very long period.

"When they lifted it, I think football was first and then other sports...

"But recently the Government has given us the green light, we are back training again and the beaches are open." 

Acheampong will be serving as Chef de Mission for the first time.

"In terms of this large contingent and various sporting disciplines, it's my first experience," he said.

"I'm looking forward to gaining a lot of experience and making an impact with the knowledge I've gained, leading other sporting teams and attending sporting tournaments and events across the world."

Ghana's team in Birmingham may well have one eye on next year's African Games, which the country will host in Accra in August.

The rare chance to compete at a home Games inevitably adds a bit of extra fuel to the fire.

"Ghana is very, very excited about the African Games," Acheampong said.

"There's a Committee in place working towards the hosting.

"Athletes will get exposure at the Commonwealth Games, and coming into the African Games we should be very, very optimistic about doing very well next year." 

Acheampong is an Executive Committee member of the Ghana Football Association and the beautiful game tends to dominate the sporting landscape.

"For football, even if there is no ball available, kids can gather things," he said.

"We used cloth - fold it around, use some rope to tie it...

"We used to do that as kids and play in every little corner. So there's easy access."

Ghana could well be a sleeping giant in other sports where the facilities are not as developed.

"For boxing, for instance, the reason why we're doing well is that in certain parts of Ghana, especially in Accra, the whole community is about boxing," Acheampong said. "So they have access to it.

"It's about infrastructure to develop the other sports. I'm pretty sure that Ghana would have the talent, the only thing is the infrastructure.

"We are limited in number and that affects the development of the other sports." 

After Birmingham 2022, Acheampong's focus will be on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where the scriptwriters have handed Ghana a mouthwatering rematch with Uruguay in the group stage.

The two sides met in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Uruguay's Luis Suarez deliberately used his hand to prevent a certain Ghana goal which would have put them 2-1 ahead with just seconds left in extra time.

Suarez was sent off, but Ghana's Asamoah Gyan missed the resultant penalty and Uruguay progressed to the semi-finals via a shoot-out.

It remains as one of the most talked about and controversial moments in World Cup history.

"What happened in South Africa in June 2010 is on the mind of every Ghanaian football loving fan," Acheampong said.

"We thought that was a great opportunity for Ghana and Africa to stake a claim for the World Cup.

"We believed that we would have made the semi-final, and who knows the final, and possibly even winning it, Africa winning it for the first time."

Fans of South Africa's team, known as the Bafana Bafana, had pledged their support to Ghana after their side were knocked out.

"That particular handball, I think it broke a lot of hearts here in Ghana and across Africa in general," Acheampong added.

"Because at that point in time we had the whole of Africa behind us.

"Every shop we entered, the South Africans were supporting Ghana. 

"Instead of Black Stars, they were calling us 'BaGhana BaGhana', so they merged Bafana and Ghana.

"It was an opportunity for us to write our names in history...

"I'm sure it will be an interesting game when Ghana meet up with Uruguay in Qatar." 

Before the World Cup, however, Birmingham 2022 must take centre stage.

Ghana has won 15 gold medals in its Commonwealth Games history, and has competed at every edition since Vancouver 1954 with the exception of 1986 in Edinburgh.

Acheampong visited Birmingham and thinks preparations are going well.

"I believe they are doing a fantastic job," he said. 

"They are doing great work, and I am sure Birmingham will be ready for it.

"I was impressed when I went there, so I would expect a very successful event."