Nimrod Challenges Nigeria’s Beach Volleyball Stars To Conquer Senior Level After U18 Victory

President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Musa Nimrod, has hailed Nigeria’s U-18 beach volleyball triumph and challenged the country’s emerging stars to translate their dominance at youth level into success on the senior international stage.

Nimrod, who also oversees the CFPP Beach Volleyball Commission, praised the players and coaching crew for their resilience during a highly competitive tournament, particularly after surviving a difficult quarter-final encounter.

“It was a high-class competition. It was fun, but it was really tough. Frankly speaking, I saw God in it,” Nimrod said.

He revealed that he remained confident of victory once Nigeria secured a place in the semi-finals.

“I knew if they crossed the semi-final into the final, they would win. That one I was 100 per cent sure,” he said.

Nimrod also commended the coaching staff for their tactical input, noting that beach volleyball rules restrict coaches from communicating with players during active play.

He said the coach made effective use of changeovers to calm the players, offer tactical guidance and help them overcome difficult periods.

According to Nimrod, Nigeria’s success has made the country a major target for opponents across Africa.

“These days, especially in beach volleyball in Africa, everybody is trying to fight us. Everybody is trying to say, ‘Look, we must beat Nigeria.’ And now, at the youth level, Nigeria is number one,” he said.

He, however, warned against complacency, stressing that the federation must continue to develop the sport and produce players capable of competing successfully at senior level.

“We must move forward beyond where we are. It is a very tough, challenging period, but we must move,” Nimrod added.

The NVBF president expressed optimism that Nigeria’s progress at youth level would eventually translate into senior success and improve the country’s prospects of qualifying for the Olympic Games.

He also disclosed plans to organise a four-nation beach volleyball tournament in Badagry, Lagos, as part of Nigeria’s support for Senegal ahead of its hosting responsibilities.

Nimrod said Nigeria and other West African countries had agreed to support Senegal, describing the responsibility of hosting major competitions as challenging.

“We are arranging a mini-competition for Senegal to come down in Badagry for a four-nation beach competition, to give them our total support,” he said.

He further expressed confidence that African teams would make a strong impact at the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal despite limited preparation time.

“Africa has the power, and we have to use that as our strength,” Nimrod said, adding that he expected an African team to reach the podium.

“I believe that Africa should be on the podium. We cannot host without Africa being on the podium,” he added.