Ghana’s top swimmer Abeku Jackson set a new national record with a personal best time of 26.48 seconds in men’s 50m backstroke as he got the nation’s 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign underway in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday morning.
The 26-year-old beat the old record of 26.84s set by Jason Arthur at the FINA World Championships in Ghouanzhou in 2019, after finishing 7th in the preliminary round of the swimming competition.
The result beat Jackson’s previous personal best of 26.97 achieved at the 2023 African Games in Accra.
Despite his 7th place, the Ghanaian advanced as a Reserve Qualifier and is on standby for possible participation in the semi-finals later this evening, depending on other automatic qualifiers.
Jackson is also scheduled to compete for Ghana in the mixed freestyle on Saturday, as well as the 50m fly and the mixed medley on Tuesday, July 28.
Ghana’s other swimmer today, Nubia Adjei, 23, meanwhile finished 8th in the women’s 50m fly in a time of 30.02s and misses out on qualification to the next round. The UK-born star will also take to the water in the mixed freestyle tomorrow, the 50m backstroke on July 27 and mixed medley on July 28.
Other Team Ghana swimmers are Ivan Snowden and Unilez Takyi. 20-year-old Snowden competes in 50m freestyle and mixed freestyle tomorrow, 50m breaststroke on Sunday, and mixed relay on July 28. Takyi, 21, swims in mixed freestyle on Saturday, 100m freestyle on Sunday as weĺl as the 50m freestyle and mixed medley on July 28.
In para swimming, Promise "Wonder Atsu" Aheto takes to the pool in the 100m Breaststroke at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre, increasing Ghana's chances of clinching glory in the water sport.
