FROM SUNDAY MATTHEW TAGGAH, KADUNA
Kaduna State’s sustained investment in sports and youth development continues to yield dividends, as its men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams, fresh off gold medal triumphs at the 22nd National Sports Festival represented Nigeria with pride at the African Continental Senior Championship in Martil, Morocco.
The women’s team, featuring Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa, clinched the bronze medal after a thrilling 2-1 (21-14, 20-22, 15-9) victory over Egypt in the third-place match. With that performance, Nigeria officially secured qualification for the 2025 World Beach Volleyball Championships.
The pair of Mbah and Bawa secured the ticket after placing third at the just-concluded African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) continental championship in Morocco.
The 2025 World Championship is scheduled to be held in Adelaide, Australia, from November 14 to 23.
Reacting to the victory, Kayode Ajilore, head coach of the Nigerian team, described the result as a product of the players’ determination and the team’s relentless commitment.
“They played to every instruction given to them,” Ajilore said. “The girls were determined to represent Nigeria in Australia at the world championship. We will begin preparations immediately to ensure we also achieve a strong result at the global stage.”
In the women’s category, Morocco clinched gold, while Mozambique won silver. On the men’s side, Moroccan teams dominated, winning both gold and silver, with Mozambique taking bronze.
This bronze medal achievement underscores Kaduna State’s rising profile in African volleyball, reflecting the impact of Governor Uba Sani’s deliberate investment in grassroots sports development.