Francis Imoudu, the coach of Nigerian beach volleyball team, has released his four-man squad for the 2023 African Games Beach Volleyball Qualifiers in Ghana.
The players and coaching crew departed Nigeria for Accra, Ghana on Wednesday to pick a slot for the 13th African Games scheduled to start on March 8 and run through March 23.
The duo of Hilary Simon and Obayemi Ogunshina will represent Nigeria in the men’s category while Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa will feature in the women’s category.
Imoudu said the game plan is to qualify for the African Games and make the country proud at the Games proper.
He said the players selected have what it takes to slug it out with their opponents from other West African countries.
Imoudu said, “We have never eluded the Africa Games since the beach volleyball event came on board. We are assuring the country that we are coming back with a medal.
“The medical team has been up to the task, so we don’t have the AFCON experience. In any sport in Africa, the Arab world is always a threat, so we are weary of them,” he said.
Captain of the men’s beach volleyball team, Hilary Simon promised not to let the country down at the African Games Qualifiers.
Simon said, “All our players in camp are exposed, with the support we are getting, we believe all will go well. The President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimrod put all things in place and we look forward to making Nigeria proud.”
Meanwhile, the President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimrod expressed confidence in the ability of the team to qualify for the African Games.
He said, “I strongly believe these crops of players will qualify the country for the Games proper. When they come from Ghana, they would all come back to camp, including the indoor volleyball teams.
Nimrod said, “This time Nigeria wants to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. After going to Ghana, we are planning to see how they would go for International tours and Morocco or Egypt will be better for the tour,”
Commenting on funding of the teams, he explained, “The Federation is responsible until the teams are qualified for international competitions, before the Federal Ministry of Sports Development takes over”.
