The British Virgin Islands (BVI) has named an 11-athlete athletics team to represent the territory at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with sprint star Adaejah Hodge selected as the nation’s flag bearer.

The mule-island British Overseas Territory is only competing in athletics with seven track athletes and four field athletes.

Joining Hodge (women’s 100m and 200m) on the track team are, Beyoncé Defreitas (women’s 100m and 200m), Rikkoi Brathwaite (men’s 100m), Jaleel Croal (men’s 100m and 200m), Wanyaé Belle (men’s 100m and 200m), Kaelyaah Liburd (women’s 400m) and Deya Erickson (women’s 100m hurdles)

The field athletes are Khybah Dawson (men’s long jump), Djimon Gumbs (men’s shot put), Chantel Malone (women’s long jump) and Kimberly Smith (women’s long jump)..

Jaleel Croal has been named the territory’s baton bearer and will carry the King’s Baton—decorated for the Virgin Islands by local artist Desiree Smith—during the Opening Ceremony.

Chef de Mission Mark Chapman described the delegation as one of the strongest athletics teams the British Virgin Islands has assembled for the Commonwealth Games.

“We are taking one of the strongest athletics teams the Virgin Islands has assembled for the Commonwealth Games. Several members return with valuable Games experience, while others will be making their debut on one of the world’s biggest multi-sport stages. We are confident they are prepared to compete at the highest level,” Chapman said.

Among the experienced athletes is long jumper Malone, who finished fourth at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and fifth at Gold Coast 2018. 

Brathwaite, Defreitas and Gumbs are returning after making their Commonwealth Games debuts in Birmingham in 2022.

The Glasgow Games will mark the Commonwealth Games debut for Hodge, Croal, Belle, Liburd, Dawson and Smith.

Commonwealth Sport BVI President Ephraim Penn said preparations for Glasgow had required close coordination because of the scheduling overlap with the Central American and Caribbean Games.

“This year has required tremendous collaboration between our National Federations and both organising committees to ensure our athletes have every opportunity to compete at the highest level. We appreciate everyone’s commitment to finding solutions that place our athletes first,” Penn said.

“With such a successful season so far for our team members, we are excited to be bringing them to a world stage where they will put everything to the test as they aim for the highest results in these friendly Games.”

Penn added that he hoped the Games would foster friendships among athletes from across the Commonwealth while celebrating sport, culture and community.

BVI Athletics Association President Steve Augustine praised the team’s performances throughout the season, highlighting strong results at the NACAC Championships and on the international circuit.

“Our athletes have shown throughout the season that they belong among the very best. They have trained exceptionally hard, achieved qualifying standards and continue to raise the profile of Virgin Islands athletics. We look forward to seeing them compete against some of the strongest nations in the Commonwealth,” he said.

The athletes will be supported by coaches Jean Carlos Arroyo, Michael Heimerman, Winston Potter and Karene Hodge, along with physiotherapists Thomas Jepperson and Sofie Slider.

Artist Desiree Smith will also travel to Glasgow as a guest of Premier and Minister of Finance and Tourism Dr Natalio Wheatley in recognition of her work decorating the King’s Baton for the territory.

The delegation is scheduled to arrive in Glasgow ahead of the Opening Ceremony.

The 2026 games rums from July 23 to August 2.

The track and field competition will begin on July 27 at Scotstoun Stadium.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will feature around 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories competing in 10 sports.

The British Virgin Islands has competed at nine Commonwealth Games since making its debut in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1990. Its only Commonwealth Games medals have come through hurdler Kyron McMaster, who won gold in the men’s 400m hurdles at both the Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 Games.

Glasgow stepped in to host the 2026 Games after the original host city, Victoria, Australia, withdrew. The streamlined programme features 10 sports, with squash—an event in which the British Virgin Islands had competed at every Commonwealth Games since Melbourne 2006—not included.