Nigeria’s Esther Onyinye Mbah and Pamela Miyoum Bawa have secured a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after winning the African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria, Egypt.
Key takeaways
- The Nigerian duo overcame Morocco 2-0 in the championship final.
- Nigeria claimed Africa’s only qualification spot for the 2028 Olympic beach volleyball tournament.
- The National Sports Commission will immediately place Mbah and Bawa on the Elite and Podium Board’s training grant scheme.
- The qualification brings Nigeria back into the Olympic beach volleyball competition.
Support secured after continental triumph
The National Sports Commission said the pair would be added without delay to the training grant programme managed by its Elite and Podium Board. The decision follows their successful campaign in Egypt and is designed to strengthen their preparation for the Games.
NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade said the team’s recent progress had earned it access to enhanced high-performance backing. He added that Mbah and Bawa would now benefit from the athletes’ training grants introduced last year, with the programme intended to provide the level of preparation required for Olympic competition.
Olopade also praised the board of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, speaking on behalf of NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko. He credited the federation’s work with both the domestic league and the national teams.
Route to the Olympic berth
Mbah and Bawa began their run to the title by defeating hosts Egypt in the round of 16. They then beat Morocco in the quarter-finals before completing the campaign with another victory over the North Africans in the final, winning 2-0 to lift the continental crown.
The NSC said the athletes’ inclusion in its support structure reflects its broader effort to identify and invest in Nigerian athletes and teams with the potential to produce major results internationally.
