Nigeria's impressive performance in swimming at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games came to a close on Saturday evening. Teenager Abduljabar Adama did not make it to the final of the Men’s 50m Freestyle, despite a strong effort against top competitors, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Adama made history as Nigeria’s only swimmer to reach the semi-finals. He finished sixth in Semi-final 2 with a time of 22.44 seconds, wrapping up a successful Commonwealth Games campaign.
Australia’s Jamie Jack won the race in 21.55 seconds, followed by Canada’s Joshua Liendo with 21.61 seconds and Australia’s Flynn Southam at 21.86 seconds. Singapore’s Mikkel Jun Jie Lee came in fourth at 22.25 seconds, and the Bahamas’ Lamar Taylor placed fifth with 22.30 seconds, just ahead of the Nigerian swimmer.
Earlier in the day, the 17-year-old advanced from the heats, becoming the only Nigerian swimmer to reach the semi-finals. His teammate Clinton Opute was eliminated in the preliminary round of his own event.
Adama also participated in the men’s 100m butterfly during the Games. He finished seventh in his heat with a time of 55.81 seconds. Compatriot Colins Ebingha placed sixth in 55.45 seconds, narrowly missing a spot in the semi-finals.
Though Adama did not secure a place in the medal race in Glasgow, his performance marked another significant achievement for Nigerian swimming at the Commonwealth Games.
He arrived at the Games with an excellent reputation as an African junior record holder. Adama made history as the first Nigerian to win a medal at the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Romania, where he took home silver in the men’s 50m butterfly and broke the national record twice in one day.
Reaching the last-16 in one of the most competitive sprint events at the Commonwealth Games shows Adama's rising profile. His performance brings hope for the future of Nigerian swimming, especially following Team Nigeria’s great start in para powerlifting.
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