The National Sports Commission (NSC) has congratulated 17-year-old swimming sensation Abduljabar Adama and the Nigeria Aquatics Federation after his remarkable silver medal win in the men’s 50m butterfly at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania.
Adama clocked an impressive 23.64 seconds to secure silver, finishing just 0.10 seconds behind Great Britain’s Dean Fearn, who won gold with 23.54 seconds, according to a statement by the NSC.
NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, praised Adama’s performance, describing it as a milestone for Nigerian sports.
“Abduljabar Adama’s silver medal is a proud moment for Nigeria and for Africa. His hard work and talent have once again demonstrated that our athletes can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world,” he said.
Olopade emphasized that such achievements highlight the NSC’s responsibility to remain committed to supporting and nurturing emerging talents, noting that the commission believes “this is only the beginning of many more international triumphs for him and Nigerian swimming”.
The statement further revealed that Adama impressed right from the heats, where he posted the second-fastest overall time of 23.61 seconds in a field of 116 swimmers across 12 heats. He went on to dominate the semifinals with a winning time of 23.48 seconds before putting up a strong fight in the final.
This latest feat adds to Adama’s growing list of accomplishments. Earlier in March, he made headlines at the 16th Africa Junior Swimming Championships in Cairo, Egypt, where he claimed three gold medals, one bronze, and set multiple records, including a new African Junior record in the 50m freestyle.
What you should know
Abduljabar Adama’s silver medal in Romania marks Nigeria’s biggest breakthrough in world junior swimming history.
At just 17, he has already become one of Africa’s brightest prospects in the sport, with multiple continental titles and records to his name. His rise underscores Nigeria’s potential to compete on the global stage in aquatics.
