Nigeria Make Beach Volleyball History, Book First Olympic Ticket For LA 2028
By TAYO TAIWO (T. T.) OLUWOLE
NIGERIA have made history by qualifying for the Olympic beach volleyball tournament for the first time, earning a ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
The breakthrough came on Saturday in Alexandria, Egypt, where the Nigerian women’s pair of Esther Onyinye Mbah and Pamela Miyoum Bawa defeated Morocco to win the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship. The Confederation of African Volleyball confirmed that the continental champions secured the African quota for LA28.
Nigeria controlled the final and completed a straight-set victory. The original report gave the score as 21-17, 21-10, while the continental governing body recorded the final as 21-18, 21-11.
The triumph marks the first time Nigeria will compete in Olympic beach volleyball. It also gives the country its first Olympic qualification in a volleyball discipline.
Nigeria Volleyball Federation President Musa Nimrod hailed the achievement as a victory for the entire country. He recalled that Nigeria had reached the African final three times before but finished second on each occasion.
After 16 years of pursuing an Olympic breakthrough, Nimrod said the federation had finally achieved its long-awaited goal.
He also acknowledged the support of the National Sports Commission and Nigeria Customs Service Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi in the development of volleyball.
The qualification represents a major step for Nigeria’s beach volleyball programme. More importantly, Mbah and Bawa will now have the opportunity to represent the country on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles in 2028.
