Tag: volleyball

The head coach of Nigeria Women’s Senior Volleyball Team, Samuel Ajayi has named 12 players for the upcoming Africa Games Qualifiers in Lagos, Nigeria.

The 2024 African Games Qualifiers is scheduled to start today through 8th  January at the National Stadium in Lagos.

The team aims to qualify and win a medal after missing out on podium finishes since 2003.

Read Also: U-17 African Nations Volleyball: Nigeria edge  Cameroon  to set up final  against Egypt

Ajayi has opted to mix experience and youth, with a roster featuring five regular players, five U21 players and two U17 players.

Ijeoma Ukpabi has been selected to captain the team while Jummai Bitrus is the newly selected assistant captain.

Final women’s List: Sharon Achi, Aliyah Usman, Ijeoma Ukpabi (Captain), Maryam Ibrahim, Mirabel Onyegwu, Happy Wushilang, Blessing Unekwe, Deborah Chukwu, Ifunanya Udeagbala, Kelechi Ndukauba, Albertina Francis and Jummai Bitrus 

Nigeria’s Girls Under -17 team have qualified for the grand finale of the 2023 Girls Under 17 African Nations Volleyball Championship holding in Abuja.

The Nigeria’s Girls defeated Cameroon 3-1 again for the second time in three days to pip the Central African to the final ticket and they have set up a date with Egypt today in Abuja.

Unlike three days ago when the Cameroonians won the first set before the Nigerians rallied back to win the next three sets, the Nigeria’s Under-17 girls emerged victorious in the first set 26-24 in a nail biting tension soaked affair but the Cameroonian took the second set 25-23 to even the tie.

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It was another close contest in the third set but the Nigerians triumphed 26-24 before clinching the final set 25-19 points to win the game 3-1.

The final comes up today in Abuja with Nigeria slugging it out with Egypt who have played a game less than the host nation. The Egyptian Under 17 Girls had beaten Nigeria (3-0) and Cameroon (3-2) to qualify straight away to the final.

Nigeria that lost to the Egyptians in the opening game had to play a game more before grabbing the second final ticket

Nigeria’s Women’s Under 17 Volleyball team are through to the semi-final 2023 Girls Under 17 African Nations Volleyball Championship in Abuja following their 3-1 win over Cameroon in the second game played yesterday.

The U17 Girls had lost 3-0 to Egypt on Saturday in the competition’s opening game but they put up an improved showing against Cameroon whom they beat after going a set down before three consecutive set victories which turned the table against the Central African.

Cameroon started brightly still buoyed by their narrow 3-2 loss to Egypt and it was no surprise they picked the first set 25-19.

But Nigeria girls came into the second set brimming with confidence and determination to turn the table. It helped them as they won that set 25-20 and the third set 25-13.

Sensing defeat, Cameroon came into the fourth set with the zeal to level the set at 2-2 but the Nigeria’s girls proved too difficult as they edged the tie narrowly 25-22 to cruise to a 3-1 win.

Head coach, Nigeria women’s U17 team, Sunday Akapson praised  the players, his technical crew and the Nigeria Volleyball Federation for the enabling environment .

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He  warned his girls to redouble their efforts to ensure they beat the same Cameroon side on in the semi-finals.

He said they would keep to the tactics they adopted and some changes made that led to the resounding win as they eye a place in tomorrow’s grand finale in Abuja.

“Congratulations to the female U17 national team, the technical crew and the Nigeria Volleyball Federation. This is the first time an age grade team will be winning a game on Nigeria soil. This is telling our players that we can always do it,” Akapson  said after the game. “This is just the starting point. We do not want to over-celebrate this but remain focused. The win would boost our morale knowing that if we play our game, we are bound to win.

“We did a lot of psychological analysis on them. We changed so many things about our relationship with the players and it worked. We are going to improve on what we did for improve performance.”

The semi-final of the competition comes up today  in Abuja between Nigeria and Cameroon  with the winner expected to face Egypt in the final tomorrow.

Egypt Under 17 side cruised to the final after win

ning both games against Nigeria and Cameroon. Only three teams are participating in the competition currently ongoing in Abuja after other teams billed to feature pulled out at the last minutes.

VOLLEYBALL is the best game in the world and a perfect way of recreation and keeping fit,”
that was how Brig. Gen. Usman Yusuf, the Commander 2Division Garrison, Nigerian Army, based in Ibadan, described the game he loves so much and plays at every opportunity he gets.
The game seems to have run in the family as it was introduced to him by his Air Force father, right from his days in the primary school and right onto the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he played for his battalion.
“My dad, Abdul Mutiny Yusuf, a Warrant Officer with the Nigerian Air Force, played volleyball for the Air Force team, and I used to follow him to volleyball court while I was in the primary school; that was how I developed interest and started playing volleyball right from my primary school’s days.
“Though I played more of football in my primary school because I was the school’s goalkeeper, I started playing active volleyball when I got into secondary school, and basketball where I won many laurels.
“I went to Air Force Military School, Jos, and my squadron was doing very well in volleyball, winning all school’s championship in the locality, and when I got to the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), I continued playing volleyball for my battalion and we also won many trophies within my five years’ period at the NDA, ” he revealed.
Standing at well over six feet, Yusuf is passionate about the sport which he further illustrated as the most complete fitness game: “It is very fulfilling playing volleyball. One of its many benefits is that it exercises every part of your body, and it also develops your mental alertness, because you really have to think before you approach the ball.
“For instance, when you’re in the air you could change your decision within split seconds, that way you’re exercising your brain very well. Your legs are constantly moving, your arms are constantly moving, your trunks are moving, and you’re jumping up and bending to pick ball and stretching up to spike or hit ball, so you’re using every part of your body in playing the game which in return will make you very fit.”
He expressed disgust at the haphazard way Nigeria handles preparation for major competitions such as Olympics, which he claimed has grossly affected a game like volleyball. He clamoured for a volleyball national league just like football and basketball so that the game can make a headway on the continental and international scenes. Below are the excerpts from the interview with Sport & Style correspondent, Lanre Agiri, in Ibadan.

Volleyball conquest
I represented the 3 Division Nigerian Army and won medals at the military games but because the exigency of duties which most time will keep me out of country for long, I missed many competitions, but I still keep playing anytime I’m chanced.
I was not invited to the national team because during that time Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria had many players at the national volleyball and basketball teams, that was in the late 80s and early 90s and the NDA team had lots of training with them while I also personally trained often with them.
Disparity between football and other sports
I would not like to comment on the administration or administrator of our football. It’s about passion. By the time all these other sports are able to develop all round to compete favourably with football I think government will give them adequate attention. It’s not the fault of football that it’s popular than other sports globally, and there are lots of money being pumped into it by many sponsors. I think other sports federations still have a lot to do to develop their sports to able to compete with football. If you remember, you would have noticed that the table-tennis federation sponsored their athletes to many training tours and international tournaments prior to Olympics, and the results are there to show. I also believe volleyball, basketball are also getting their fair share.
Support for Oyo volleyball team
I will continue to support the team to any extent they want me to be involved. I am a very passionate player and supporter of volleyball and I’m ready to support them more. We have a very good volleyball court here which is available to if they want to train. And I’m also ready to make available our team here to them as a training partner, because as I’m speaking to you, my female volleyball team has played three friendly matches with them. They defeated us in two and we beat them in the last one and that’s also shows how my girls have developed. So it’s left to the state’s team to utilise the opportunity for their preparations. I have noticed that they have a very strong male team and we also have good guys here that are ready to give them very good fight, which I know will also help them in their preparation. Financially as a sponsor of volleyball, I will give them my widow’s mite when the time arises and train with them and wish them the best of luck.
Performance at the military sports competition
Wow, it was fantastic and a very successful tournament. And like I said during the closing ceremony at the event, that was the first time as a sportsman I would see formations loaning players to others to compete against them which was the real spirit of good sportsmanship we have been preaching. You know basically sports is about making friends and developing discipline and not a war unlike we normally see in some competitions that people would be fighting and injuring each other, all in the name of sports. That our last competition was very interesting, which was among all the brigades and formations under two divisions. It was very healthy and very tough but the good spirit exhibited by our soldiers was very fantastic. We had people going to coach other teams that do not have a coach not because they want the team to be defeated for any bad reason but for the spirit of good comrades. The army gave a good example of sportsmanship in their tournaments.
Though not every formation could produce a very strong volleyball team, my team here was particularly very strong because we’ve been training for the past four months and we’re able to develop talents. We had one or two formations that were also good – some formations were weak, but we also took cognisance of the fact that the army is involved in lots of operations. Being soldiers, you don’t miss your primary duties in the army because you’re a sportsman. If a volleyball player has to be drafted, that’s his primary assignment as a soldier, but the standard exhibited by some of the formations was quite good but I know with more training we would develop more talents in the military.
Nigeria’s volleyball team and Olympics
It’s all about early preparation and approach. We cannot be organising the National Sports Festival and after the festival everybody goes back to his home not following whatever talent discovered there up and when it is the time for Olympic you gather players together and you expect to qualify for an Olympics. No, we cannot succeed that way. The way the football league is being played across is the way volleyball is supposed to be played, just like basketball is doing and from there we select a team and camp them for years, put them under a good coach that has a great understanding of the game. If we still follow the haphazard way we handle our preparations, we will never be able to make it. I know we have the talents that could take us there because I have played with a lot of volleyball players across the country and I know their capabilities. Here in Ibadan, I have seen wonderful talents, all we need is that commitment to play consistently over a long period of time. I have watched volleyball live at the Olympics and seen the standard of play which was very high; the pattern of play which was not very different from what we played at our level, but the difference is playing consistently and being in camp early and in right condition for them to be able to compete anywhere. We have the right players that can compete well in any part of the world even at the Olympics but what we need is quick preparations and good support.

The game of volleyball in Lagos State is expected to receive a boost as a Non Governmental Organisation, NGO, is coordinating a programme targeted at reviving the sport in the state.

Courtesy of Youth Volleyball Mission of the Samaritan’s Feet International with additional support from the Heart of America Region Volleyball Association and Club North Volleyball, a Junior Volleyball Development League is expected to take off by next year’s September in Lagos.

In preparation for this league, training of youth players has since begun at two centres in the state. Kids within ages 8 to 14 years are currently being exposed to the rudiments of volleyball in Ikorodu and Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

In a chat with SportingLife, the coordinator of the programme, former national team’s chief coach, Suraj Olajide Onatuga a.k.a Mansu, the programme is spearheaded by one of his former players, an advocate for youth volleyball, who is currently the Master Trainer/Coach for Club North Volleyball, Kansas City.

“We had been having series of training for the Lagos youth since last year and this year, in the last three week, training is being held in preparation for the Junior Volleyball Development League which begins next year. The motive behind this programme is to give the kids a close exposure to volleyball at their tender age,” he said.

According to Coach Onatuga, the plan is to train the players to the level of competition ahead of the commencement of the league which will feature players in U-11, U-13 and U-15. Each of these categories will have between four to eight school teams in the boys and girls events.

“We are planning to start the league after the US regular volleyball league has ended in April so that some of the equipment used by some of the clubs will be taken down to Nigeria for our use. The plan is to bring from US junior leather balls, nets, poles, volleyball carts, jerseys, technical resources people to beef up the leagues when it begins. The league will be the local version of what is obtainable in the US volleyball,” the coach said.

He, however, said that the ongoing training at two centres in Lagos will end on Saturday with an exhibition programme at the Teslim Balogun Stadium where about 150 youth players will assemble to showcase what they have been learning in the last three weeks.

“We have been training them on how to move with the ball, body control, moving with the feet to attack, biomechanical technique in volleyball, how to use maximum touch point and foundational technique in volleyball. All these will make them complete youth volleyball players before we start the league.

“I will only appeal to schools in Lagos State to prepare for what is coming as they stand to gain a lot from the programme. We are going to assist the schools to develop volleyball with resources at our disposal. There are plenty of things in volleyball we are shipping from the US and these will be given out free of charge to develop the sport and more importantly take the proposed league to the next level. Our long term objective is to see these kids becoming superstars in the world of volleyball someday,” he said.

Onatuga disclosed that the American NGO plans to give outstanding players in the league scholarship awards both in the country and abroad, while also assisting them to develop their career in the game.