Sri Lanka’s swimming team for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games is ready to make its mark as pool events begin at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre. Representing the country are two talented young athletes, M.F. Muhammad and Minagi Rupesinghe.
While Rupesinghe’s spot on the team was secured early on, Muhammad was called up as a late replacement after Olympic swimmer Kyle Abeysinghe had to withdraw due to a sudden illness. This dual-athlete squad brings a strong mix of local records and international racing experience to Glasgow, ready to challenge top competitors from around the world from July 24 to July 29, 2026.
Eighteen-year-old M.F. Muhammad enters the Games at a high point in his career. Though being so young, he has since grown into Sri Lanka’s highest-ranked male swimmer by FINA points. Training under the elite Killer Whale Aquatics program. Muhammad made history by becoming the first-ever swimmer from Zahira College Colombo, to reach the Commonwealth Games. He is coming off a major milestone at the Asian Age Group Aquatics Championships in Bangkok, where he won a continental silver medal in the 100m Butterfly with a time of 54.94 seconds. He also holds multiple national records in Sri Lanka for both long-course and short-course breaststroke events.
Because he is filling in for Abeysinghe, Muhammad is taking on a demanding multi-event schedule that covers four individual races. He will open his campaign with the 50m Freestyle heats on Saturday, July 25th, 2026. Then on Monday, July 27th, 2026, he will return to the blocks for the fast-paced 100m Freestyle before finally competing in the 50m Butterfly to end his campaign.
On the women’s side, Minagi Rupesinghe brings valuable international and collegiate experience to Team Sri Lanka. She is training in the United Kingdom, where she competes for Oxford Brookes University and Wycombe Swimming. Rupesinghe has performed well on the British university circuit, reaching multiple finals at the BUCS National Championships and being named a finalist for Sportsperson of the Year at her college. She is a highly versatile athlete who previously represented Sri Lanka in both pool swimming and open-water races at the World Aquatics Championships. In Glasgow, she will handle a busy three-day schedule, swimming the 200m Backstroke on Friday, July 24, 2026, the 100m Backstroke on Saturday, July 25, 2026, and the 100m Freestyle on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
With the racing schedule ready to begin at Tollcross, both swimmers have the distinct advantage of working under head coach Matthew Abeysinghe. As a double Olympian who has competed at the absolute highest levels of world swimming, his elite experience and deep technical expertise provide the ultimate guidance for this young squad. Under his leadership, Muhammad and Rupesinghe are well-equipped to handle the high pressure of the international stage.
