Nigeria’s women’s beach volleyball team qualifies for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
Nigeria’s women’s beach volleyball team has secured a historic qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The team achieved this by defeating Morocco 2-0 in the final of the 2026 CAVB Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship held in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday. This marks the first time Nigeria will be represented in beach volleyball at the Olympic Games.
The Nigerian duo of Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa delivered a dominant performance in the final match. They won both sets with scores of 21-17 and 21-10, securing the gold medal and their nation’s spot at the upcoming Olympics. This victory is considered a significant milestone for Nigerian sports.
Path to Olympic Qualification
The journey to Olympic qualification saw the Nigerian team display strong form throughout the championship. Prior to their final showdown against Morocco, Nigeria had advanced to the final by overcoming Mozambique in the semi-finals. In that match, Nigeria also secured a 2-0 victory, winning both sets with a score of 21-17.
The 2026 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Senior Championship, which ran from August 18 to 22 in Alexandria, Egypt, served as a crucial tournament for African teams. It brought together leading beach volleyball teams from across the continent, with continental honors and qualification opportunities for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games being primary objectives for participating nations.
Earlier in the tournament, Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa faced Egypt’s Mariam/Rana in the Round of 16. This match was a key hurdle for the Nigerian pair as they aimed to advance further in the competition. The encounter was scheduled on Court 3 at 12 noon local time, as per the official match schedule, and was one of eight women’s Round of 16 matches played on that day.
Other Round of 16 matches on Court 3 included Nadia/Verónica of Mozambique against Lu/Jany of Cape Verde, Amina/Diouma of Senegal meeting Amelou/Bechar of Algeria, and Donne/Joanita of Mauritius taking on Njie/Gambou of Gambia. On Court 2, matches featured Marwa/D. Eghotashy of Egypt versus Tofolvi/Chapole of Lesotho, Alexandra Erhardt/Darham of Morocco against Dania/Adeline of Seychelles, Cameroon’s Irina/Nina meeting Vanessa/Sinaportar of Mozambique, and Una/Yatku of Madagascar playing Sena/Wavinya of Kenya.
Reactions to the Historic Achievement
The qualification has been met with widespread commendation from sports officials in Nigeria. Musa Nimrod, President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), expressed his congratulations to the team and described the achievement as a significant milestone for the country. Nimrod highlighted the team’s perseverance, noting that this was their fourth attempt at reaching the finals, having finished in second place on three previous occasions.
Nimrod stated that the victory was not solely a success for the Nigeria Volleyball Federation but for the entire nation. He acknowledged the role of divine intervention in securing the win on their fourth trial, bringing home the gold medal and Olympic qualification.
Engineer Habu Gumel, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), also extended his congratulations to the beach volleyball team. Gumel lauded the qualification as a landmark achievement for Nigerian sports, specifically for beach volleyball. He praised Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa for their efforts, stating that they have made the country proud by securing a historic place at the world’s biggest sporting event.
Gumel, who is also an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, acknowledged the support from various stakeholders. He applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his administration’s investment in sports development, viewing the qualification as a reflection of the President’s support for Nigerian athletes. He also commended the Chairman and Director General of the National Sports Commission, as well as the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, CGC Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for their consistent support which contributed to this achievement. Gumel further mentioned Engineer Musa Nimrod, who also serves as the President of the CAVB Beach Volleyball Commission, for his contributions.
The historic qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games was secured on Saturday, August 22, in Alexandria, Egypt.
Source: vanguardngr.com
