Sports
Volleyball Olympic Ticket: NVBF President Credits God, Targets Five World Tours
Joel Ajayi
The President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Musa Yimrod, has said that the Nigeria’s qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as a historic breakthrough after about 16 years of waiting, attributing the achievement to God.
Nimrod who spoke on Sunday night on the arrival of victorious team to country, after the Nigerian women’s beach volleyball team, Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa, secured the country’s historic first Olympic qualification in beach volleyball at the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship in Alexandria, Egypt.
The Nigerian pair defeated Morocco in the decisive encounter to secure the continental ticket and book their place at the Los Angeles Games.
Expressing his excitement over the feat, Nimrod said the qualification was the result of years of effort and missed opportunities, stressing that the achievement had finally fulfilled a long-standing ambition of Nigerian volleyball.
According to him, Nigeria had come close to Olympic qualification on several occasions but failed to secure a ticket, making the latest achievement particularly significant.
“I’m very happy because the journey has been about 16 years.”
He recalled that Nigeria had missed qualification opportunities on the road to previous Olympic Games, including Rio, Tokyo and Paris, but finally broke the jinx in the beach volleyball event.
Nimrod, however, was quick to give the glory to God, saying divine intervention played a major role in the team’s success.
“It is God Almighty that gave us this victory. It is not my own effort or anybody’s effort. The glory goes back to God,” he said.
The NVBF president revealed that he personally prayed with the players on the phone on the morning of the decisive match, saying his faith in God remained central to his approach to leadership.
“I’m a man of prayer and I believe in the Almighty, who is the maker of all life,” he added.
While celebrating the qualification, Nimrod said the federation’s work had only just begun, stressing that adequate preparations would be required to ensure that Nigeria makes a strong showing at the Olympics.
He said that the federation was targeting at least five international World Tour events for the players before the Games to improve their ranking and ensure a favourable draw.
“The work ahead is not going to be easy. I have to look for World Tours for them. They have to do about five World Tours. If not, they won’t get their ranking very well and they could fall into a very difficult group,” he explained.
Nimrod said the players had already achieved two major milestones by qualifying for the World Championships and the Los Angeles Olympics, describing the feat as a source of pride for Nigerian volleyball.
He therefore called for support from stakeholders and the government to enable the federation prepare the athletes adequately for the global stage.
The federation president also expressed optimism about the future of Nigeria’s national volleyball teams, particularly the younger players who have progressed through the federation’s development programmes.
He noted that some of the players had risen through youth competitions, including the African Youth Games, into the senior national teams.
President however, cautioned against making premature promises about further qualification successes, saying the federation would take each match as it comes.
“I don’t like making comments that will bring me into politics. I will not promise you anything. But the work is there,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to continue supporting the teams, stressing that success in international volleyball requires collective effort and sustained investment.
Nimrod also maintained that his confidence in the future of Nigerian volleyball was rooted in his faith, insisting that he relied on God rather than individuals.
“For me, I don’t rely on man. I rely on God,” he said.
With Nigeria now set to make history at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, attention will shift to preparations, international competitions and ranking points as the federation seeks to ensure that the historic qualification translates into a strong Olympic campaign.
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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