Sudanese-American swimmer Ziyad Saleem secured third place in the 50m backstroke event at the 2026 African Swimming Championships in Algeria.
Meanwhile, Bakri Jalab achieved seventh place in the 200m breaststroke race.
The African Swimming Championships 2026 took place from 5 to 10 May 2026 in Oran, Algeria, and featuring some of the continent’s top athletes. Most swimmers plan to use the African Swimming Championships 2026 as a warm-up for their national championships, which will determine their squads for the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.
This comes shortly after Saleem and other Sudanese swimmers such as Rana Hani, and Adam Ahmed won a total of eight gold medals at the Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships 2025, held from 16 to 19 October 2025 at the Kasarani Aquatic Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.
Saleem has achieved notable success in recent years, winning multiple medals at the African Championships. In 2023, he earned two golds and one silver, while in 2024, he won gold medals in the 100-m and 200-m backstroke and a silver in the 50-m backstroke — his first gold medals for Sudan in that competition. Saleem holds dual citizenship — the US and Sudan, but competes internationally for Sudan.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Professor Ahmed Adam Ahmed, congratulated champion Ziad Salim after winning third place in the 50-m backstroke event, and also praised the outstanding performance of Bakri Jalab, who secured seventh place in the 200-meter breaststroke event, stressing that these results represent an important step toward a brighter future for Sudanese swimming.
وزير الشباب والرياضة يشيد بمنتخب السودان المشارك في البطولة الأفريقية للسباحة بالجزائر https://t.co/y9aeoeyRim#سونا #السودان pic.twitter.com/J33XRZCKCm
— SUDAN News Agency (SUNA) 🇸🇩 (@SUNA_AGENCY) May 9, 2026
The minister confirmed that the ministry had been directly monitoring the team’s participation, noting that the participation came with the support and approval of the Council of Ministers as part of the state’s commitment to developing various sports and empowering youth to represent Sudan in regional and continental events. Professor Adam added that the ministry will continue supporting national teams and young athletes in a way that contributes to achieving more accomplishments and raising Sudan’s name high in international and continental competitions.
For more information, visit olympics.com/en/news/african-swimming-championships-2026-stars-watch-schedule.
