Nigeria has intensified preparations for the forthcoming continental beach volleyball championship, with both the men's and women's national teams already securing qualification for the competition.
President of the CAVB Beach Volleyball Commission, Musa Nimrod, disclosed this while speaking on the sidelines of ongoing preparations in Abuja.
According to Nimrod, Nigeria has already qualified for the continental event but is currently hosting regional qualifiers to support the development of beach volleyball across various zones of the continent.
He said the country's preparations were on course despite financial constraints, noting that Nigeria would field two teams for the competition.
"Our players will be based in Badagry with Team A and Team B. We can only afford two teams at the moment. If resources were available, we would have preferred to field three teams," he said.
Nimrod also highlighted the challenge of funding preparations for Nigeria's Under-18 boys' and girls' volleyball teams ahead of an international competition in Europe.
He expressed optimism that the teams would depart for the Netherlands on July 11 if adequate funding and preparations were completed on schedule.
The volleyball administrator further revealed that the long-awaited African Beach Tour had received official approval from the Confederation of African Volleyball.
According to him, the initiative was endorsed during the commission's January meeting and subsequently approved by CAVB President, Bouchra Hajij.
He disclosed that five countries had been selected to host the inaugural edition of the tour, with Nigeria among the designated host nations.
Nimrod described the development as a major milestone for beach volleyball on the continent, expressing confidence that it would enhance the growth and visibility of the sport across Africa.
Meanwhile, construction of a new beach volleyball facility in Abuja is nearing completion as part of efforts to strengthen the country's sporting infrastructure.
The facility, which is already undergoing preliminary use by local beach soccer teams, is expected to be completed within the next week.
Nimrod, who recently inspected the project, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and praised the efforts of the organising committee.
He said the new venue would provide a world-class environment for hosting major beach volleyball events and contribute significantly to the development of the sport in Nigeria.
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