The President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimrod said the nation’s beach volleyball women’s team stands a chance of qualifying for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
Nimrod told journalists that the COVID-19 will play a vital role whenever the Confederation of Africa Volleyball decides to choose host for the final round.
He said the country will not have a repeat of what happened four years ago where Egypt clinched the sole beach volleyball ticket in Nigeria.
Nimrod said, “Nigeria intends to host the final round of the Tokyo 2021 Beach Volleyball women’s Olympic qualifiers and we do not want to miss the Olympic Games this time around like what happened four years ago. The nation failed to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in Abuja where Egypt got the ticket in front of our home fans.
He added that “The Federation is indicating interest to host the final round of the women’s qualification in the country but we hope not to commit silly mistakes for the second time on home soil. The men’s beach volleyball team should have played their own qualifiers in Mozambique last March but our players are still keeping fit during the COVID-19 lockdown because we told them to stay fit”. Immediately sporting activities resumes, the men’s team will be on their way to Mozambique for the second round of the Beach Volleyball Qualifiers”.
The Kaduna based sports administrator said volleyball activities will resume when the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has given directives.
He said, “Players, coaches and referees are eager to return to the court but as law abiding citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we must await directives from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development. Immediately the embargo on sports is lifted the League Organising Committee of the Nigeria Volleyball Premier League will meet to deliberate when the league will resume”.
