Nigeria’s Beach Volleyball Queens Receive Heroic Welcome After

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was filled to capacity on Sunday night as officials of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), volleyball enthusiasts and supporters gathered to give a heroic welcome to Nigeria’s women’s beach volleyball team following their historic qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The team, comprising Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa, secured Nigeria’s first-ever Olympic qualification in beach volleyball after defeating Morocco 2-0 (21-17, 21-10) in the final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday, August 22.

The historic victory ended years of near misses for Nigeria and marked a major milestone in the country’s volleyball history.

From the airport, the jubilant delegation and supporters moved to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Package B Indoor Hall, Abuja, where the Nigeria Volleyball Federation organised a special welcome and dinner in honour of the players and their historic achievement.

Speaking during the reception, NVBF President, Engineer Musa Nimrod, described the qualification as the product of years of perseverance and, above all, divine intervention.

Nimrod said the federation had waited for about 16 years to secure an Olympic qualification, recalling that Nigeria had reached the final stages of previous qualification campaigns but failed to secure the sole available ticket.

He said Nigeria came close during the qualification races for the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, only to miss out at crucial stages.

“This is the fourth one. I want to say that it is God, it’s not human being. It is God Almighty that gave us this victory. It is not my own effort, neither anybody’s effort. It is God’s. The glory goes back to God,” Nimrod said.

The NVBF president disclosed that he personally prayed with the players over the phone before their decisive match against Morocco.

According to him, the qualification represents the culmination of a long journey for Nigerian volleyball, which has been affiliated with the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) since 1969.

“I’m so happy that even if today I leave volleyball, I’ve achieved what volleyball was registered under FIVB in 1969, and we have not gotten a ticket to go to Olympics. Now we have gotten the ticket, finally,” he said.

However, Nimrod stressed that the historic qualification was only the beginning of a bigger task, warning that extensive preparation would be required ahead of the Los Angeles Games.

He said the players would need to participate in at least five international World Tour events to improve their ranking and ensure they are properly seeded for the Olympics.

“They have to do about five World Tours. If they don’t get that ranking very well, they will fall into a very terrible group,” he explained.

He added that the federation would work to ensure the team gets the necessary exposure and preparation ahead of the 2028 Games.

Also speaking, Retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Stephen Hasso, a board member of the NVBF and chairman of the Beach Volleyball Commission, described the qualification as one of the greatest moments of his sporting career.

“Today is my greatest day in sports. That I led a commission, that my team—my beach girls—are the first to get a ticket that will take them to LA Olympics come 2028,” Hassel said.

Hassel called on the National Sports Commission and other stakeholders to provide adequate financial support for the team, noting that Nigeria now has two years to prepare the players for the Olympics.

He said the federation had already demonstrated its ability to produce results across different categories of volleyball and deserved stronger institutional backing.

“What we want from the commission is to give us the financial support,” he said, stressing that the players needed sustained training and international exposure to compete successfully on the world stage.

For player Esther Mbah, the warm reception at the airport was an emotional experience that made the team feel appreciated by Nigerians.

“The reception at the airport was really warm, and it made us feel like home appreciates us,” Mbah said.

She explained that the team approached the competition with determination after Nigeria’s defeat to Egypt during the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification campaign.

According to her, that disappointment forced the players to return to the drawing board, reset their mindset and develop greater resilience.

“We had to reset and made up our mind to be resilient and go in for this competition because we want to make a name for ourselves and make our country proud,” she said.

Mbah expressed confidence that she and her partner, Pamela Bawa, could compete successfully at the Olympics.

“We’ve qualified for the Olympics. The next stage is LA. See you in Los Angeles,” she said.

President of the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel, also congratulated the team and the NVBF, describing the qualification as a major achievement for Nigerian sport.

Gumel, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee, Treasurer General of ANOCA, chairman of the Finance Commission of the FIVB and a board member of the NVBF, said the qualification two years before the Games provides Nigeria with sufficient time to prepare adequately.

He pledged the NOC’s collaboration with the National Sports Commission and the federal government to ensure the team receives the necessary preparation.

“Preparation is very, very important, and it is key,” Gumel said.

He explained that the NOC would work with the National Sports Commission to develop a comprehensive programme aimed at preparing the team for the Olympic competition.

“It’s not just the qualification alone, but for you to go there during the championship, to make your country proud. So we have to prepare very well,” he added.

NVBF board member and chairperson of the federation’s Anti-Doping and Medical Commission, Chinedu Odozor-Onikeku, also celebrated the achievement, attributing the historic breakthrough to determination, faith and the commitment of the players.

She said the team’s Olympic preparation should begin immediately, noting that athletes preparing for an Olympic Games normally commence preparations well ahead of the event.

With the historic ticket secured, attention has now shifted to preparations for Los Angeles 2028, with the NVBF expected to intensify its efforts to secure international competitions, training opportunities and financial support for the players.

The qualification has also given Nigerian volleyball its first Olympic ticket in the sport’s history, turning what was once a long-standing ambition into reality.

The breakthrough is expected to further raise the profile of beach volleyball in Nigeria and inspire a new generation of players to pursue the sport at the highest level.