Kada Kings and Nigeria Customs Service currently top the table after the end of the 2024 National Beach Volleyball Star Tour (phase 1) in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Kada Kings won all 6 matches while Nigeria Customs Service recorded five wins (unbeaten) in the men’s and women’s categories respectively played at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN)
Speaking at the sideline, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Martin Melandi, confirmed that the federation aspires to secure a ticket for the next Olympics and participate in the Commonwealth Games scheduled for Glasgow in 2026.
He said the tour will help prepare Nigeria for international engagements within and outside Africa.
“We aspire to have a ticket for the Olympics, participate in Commonwealth games, and always maintain our standard as the top team in Africa by maintaining podium finishes at International and continental competitions.
“The current girls who participated in the last Olympic qualifier are just below 19 years old, and number 1 in the junior category. They won the African championship in Morocco and placed second at the Olympic qualifier, if not our girls would have been in the Olympics held in France last July.
“By the next Olympic they would have matured and played more international competitions and definitely by the grace of God we’re going to pick the African ticket,” Melandi said.
Melandi also revealed plans adopted to make beach volleyball popular and widely acceptable in the country while also in pursuing to hunt for more talent.
“That is why we have moved this game to Ibadan, we’re moving them from zone to zone to create awareness, hence we’d have done it in Abuja or Lagos, so we’re taking it to all the states that are ready to host us and we’ll make it popular there by doing so.
“Also we’ll discover new talents and we’ll also give opportunities to organisations, and philanthropists to come and partner with us to move this game forward,” he added.
