Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will have a solitary swimmer, Collins Saliboko, representing the country at the 2026 Commonwealth Games scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Saliboko will compete under the guidance of coach Kanisi Mabena, according to reports received by The Citizen. Tanzania will also field amateur boxers, judoka and runners.
The 24-year-old swimmer is currently based in South Africa, where he is also in camp preparing for the global event while continuing with his studies as a second-year student at Nelson Mandela University.
His training environment in South Africa has provided him with consistent exposure to high-performance swimming programs and competitive training partners, helping him refine his technique and endurance ahead of major international assignments.
Saliboko is no stranger to top-level competition, having steadily built his profile on the international stage over the past few years.
He represented Tanzania at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, competing in the men’s 100m freestyle event. In Paris, he gained valuable experience at the highest level of the sport, clocking 53.38 seconds in the heats.
He finished seventh in his heat and did not advance to the next round, but the race marked an important milestone in his development as one of Tanzania’s leading sprint swimmers.
Beyond the Olympic Games, Saliboko has consistently featured in World Aquatics competitions, where he has tested himself against some of the world’s best swimmers.
At the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in 2024, he delivered one of his strongest performances to date, setting a national record of 51.10 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle. In the same championship, he also competed in the 100m butterfly, where he posted a time of 55.45 seconds, further demonstrating his versatility in sprint events.
In long-course competition, Saliboko has also made appearances at the World Aquatics Championships (50m pool), competing in both freestyle and butterfly sprint events. One of his standout performances came at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships held in Fukuoka, Japan, where he recorded 24.43 seconds in the 50m freestyle.
His participation across multiple events at this level has helped him gain valuable race experience and measure his progress against elite international competition.
Over time, Saliboko’s performances in both short-course and long-course formats have established him as one of Tanzania’s most consistent international swimmers. He has regularly set national records and continues to push the boundaries of Tanzanian swimming on the world stage, particularly in sprint freestyle events where competition is extremely intense.
Initially, Saliboko was expected to be joined by promising young female swimmer Nicolene Viljoen (14) from Tanzania’s Riptide Swim Club. However, her participation was ruled out due to visa problems.
His journey to Glasgow will once again place him on one of the sport’s biggest stages, where he will be aiming to improve on his previous international performances and continue building Tanzania’s presence in global swimming.
