Sports
LA 2028: Onikeku Salutes Historic Beach Volleyball Qualification, Promises Early Preparations
Joel Ajayi
A board member of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Mrs. Chinedu Odozor-Onikeku, has expressed delight over Nigeria’s historic qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in beach volleyball, attributing the feat to God.
Onikeku, who personally sponsored her trip to accompany and support the victorious Nigerian beach volleyball team in Alexandria, Egypt, said she was overwhelmed with joy following the team’s historic achievement.
Nigeria secured its first-ever Olympic ticket in beach volleyball after the women’s pair of Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa defeated Morocco 2-0 at the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship in Alexandria.
Speaking on the team’s arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday, Onikeku said the achievement was a testament to God’s intervention, considering the quality of teams that participated in the championship.“I feel so excited. I have to give glory to God because it can only be God,” she said.
The former athlete noted that the competition featured some of Africa’s strongest teams and physically imposing players, making Nigeria’s qualification even more remarkable.
“When you think of how many teams that came there, and when you see some of them, their height and the environment, you ask yourself, how did God do this? You can only say it is God,” she added.
Onikeku also commended the determination, ambition and fighting spirit of Mbah and Bawa, saying the players were motivated by their desire to represent Nigeria at the Olympic Games.
According to her, the prospect of making history and competing on the biggest sporting stage inspired the athletes to remain focused throughout the championship.
She said the historic qualification had generated enormous excitement within the team and the wider Nigerian volleyball community, adding that attention must now shift towards preparing the players adequately for their Olympic debut.
Onikeku assured that preparations for Los Angeles 2028 had already begun, although the athletes would first be allowed to recover from the physically demanding continental championship.
“The preparation has started already. Anybody that starts a new phase, they go to a new phase and start with a new phase finished,” she said.She explained that the immediate priority was to give the players some time to rest before the federation begins implementing a comprehensive preparation programme for the Olympic Games.
“So I believe now that the ticket has started already. It is just for them to get some rest and the preparation will start,” she added.
The qualification makes Mbah and Bawa the first Nigerian beach volleyball pair to secure a place at the Olympic Games, marking a significant milestone in the country’s volleyball history.
Their 2-0 victory over Morocco in Alexandria earned Nigeria the coveted continental ticket and sparked celebrations among players, officials and supporters of the sport.
With the historic ticket secured, Onikeku expressed confidence that sustained planning, adequate funding, international exposure and strong support from stakeholders would give the players the platform to compete favourably against the world’s best teams at Los Angeles 2028.
She urged all stakeholders in Nigerian sports to rally behind the team as preparations begin for what promises to be a landmark Olympic debut.
Sports
Folsa School, GSS Kuje, Others Shine at Inaugural AFFAN Abuja Chapter Relay Race
By Joel Ajayi
It was an atmosphere of excitement, enthusiasm and healthy competition as close to 300 schoolgirls from 12 schools across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participated in the maiden edition of the Association of Former Female Athletes of Nigeria (AFFAN), Abuja Chapter, Inter-Area Council Junior and Senior Secondary Schools Relay Race.
The competition, held on Friday at the Main Bowl of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, provided a platform for young female athletes to showcase their talents, promote grassroots sports development and encourage greater participation of girls in athletics.
The historic event brought together students from various junior and senior secondary schools across the FCT, with participants competing in different track events, including the 100-metre race,4×100-metre relay, 4×400-metre relay and relay competitions for school girls.
Participating junior secondary schools included JSS Kuje, JSS Hajj Camp, JSS Kwali, JSS Abaji, Government Secondary School (GSS) Gwagwalada and Folsa School.
In the senior secondary category, the participating schools were GSS Kuje, GSS Gwagwalada, GSS Kwali, Total Child School, Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) Abaji and Folsa School.
In the junior girls’ 100-metre race, David Jimata of GDSS Kwali emerged winner to claim the gold medal, while Mercy Monday of Total Child School settled for silver. Kudirat Abdulaziz finished third to win bronze.
In the senior girls’ 100-metre event, Patricia Habillah of Folsa School claimed gold, while Mojinatu Sulaiman of Total Child School won silver. Youana of GDSS Abaji secured the bronze medal.
The junior girls’ 4×100-metre relay saw JSS Kuje emerge champions, while JSS Hajj Camp, Gwagwalada, finished second. JSS Kwali took third place.
In the senior girls’ 4×100-metre relay, Folsa School clinched the gold medal, while GDSS Abaji secured silver.
The competition also featured the 4×400-metre relay, with GSS Hajj Camp emerging winners in the junior category, ahead of GSS Kuje, who finished second, while Folsa School claimed third place.
In the senior 4×400-metre relay, Folsa School finished first to win gold, while GSS Gwagwalada secured silver and GSS Kuje settled for bronze.
The maiden competition underscored the importance of providing young girls with opportunities to discover and develop their sporting abilities through organised grassroots competitions.
It also offered participating schools an opportunity to identify promising athletes who could be nurtured for future competitions at national and international levels.
The initiative by AFFAN Abuja Chapter is expected to contribute to the development of female athletics in the FCT while inspiring more young girls to embrace sports and pursue their dreams in athletics.
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