Nigeria's Swimmers and Boxers Out Early at Commonwealth Games

Team Nigeria faced tough luck in swimming and boxing on the first day of individual events at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Clinton Opute and Ayomide Foly Hassan could not qualify for the next round.

Opute ended up sixth in his heat of the men’s 200m individual medley. He finished with a time of two minutes 15.40 seconds. Unfortunately, this time was not enough for him to move on in the competition.

Even though he did not qualify, his race kicked off Nigeria’s individual events at the games. More Nigerian athletes are set to compete in different sports in the days ahead.

In boxing, Hassan fought hard but was knocked out of the men’s 70kg division. He lost in the Round of 32 against Lesotho’s Refiloe Thai. Thai won the match with a clear 4-0 victory on points.

Hassan showed great determination, but Thai kept his cool and fought strategically. Thai’s win allowed him to move on to the Round of 16, keeping Lesotho's hopes alive in the boxing tournament.

This loss ended Hassan’s journey in Glasgow. Still, many saw his effort as a sign of the strong fighting spirit in Team Nigeria’s boxing squad.