The Nation Newspaper

Tag: volleyball

  • Morakinyo commends Volleyball team over successful outing

    Morakinyo commends Volleyball team over successful outing

    Ebenezer Morakinyo, the First Vice-President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), on Wednesday commended the Nigerian Beach Volleyball team, for a creditable performance at the just-concluded West Africa Beach Open Championship.
    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the team which emerged as runners up in the competition that took place in Takoradi, Ghana, surpassed all expectations. NAN reports that the championship held from Dec.12 to Dec.16.
    He added that team’s participation in the championship was part of preparations for the forthcoming Intercontinental Volleyball Competition slated to hold in 2014 in Poland.
    “I’m glad that in spite of the accommodation problem the team encountered, they were still able to bounce back from that and secure the second spot. The hotel was about 10 km from the venue, so after the first game against Ghana, which we lost, the coach devised a way to deal with the players and we still came second,’’ he said.
    Morakinyo told NAN that the federation would build on the success it recorded at the championship, in their buildup to competitions in 2014.
    “This coming year, we are going to camp players for six or more weeks, so that they will be ready for the next phase of the championship. The NVBF also plans to create a more vibrant year ahead and more successful outings,’’ he added.
  • NYG: Kebbi female volleyball team blame loss on lack of exposure

    NYG: Kebbi female volleyball team blame loss on lack of exposure

    Kebbi female volleyball team on Wednesday said their 0-3 loss to Osun in the competition’s third-place match at the ongoing National Youth Games (NYG) was due to lack of exposure.

    Coach Halimah Yusuf told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja after the match that their opponents were better exposed than they were, going by their standard of play.

    Yusuf said his team, which had earlier lost 0-3 to Benue in the semi-finals, was overwhelmed by the highly-experienced Osun players during the third-place match.

    “I commend my players for their performance because they are not all that exposed, unlike our opponents who are more exposed going by the way they played. So, it was a good game for us and we are glad we ended up as the fourth best team out of the six teams which registered for the competition,’’ she said.

    On her part, coach Bose Ogunola of Team Osun said she was excited the game ended in their favour, admitting however that the match was their toughest in the competition.

    “We thank God that we won this match, because it is the toughest of all our matches. But the advantage we had over our opponents was our good coverage and attack. So, it was a good one for us to win the third-place match after losing out in the qualification for the final,’’ she said.

    NAN reports that, in the male category, Cross River beat Abia 3-0 to win the third-place match.

  • Minister lauds Volleyball Federation

    Minister lauds Volleyball Federation

    : States smile home with kits

    THe Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) Thursday at the Media Center of the Abuja National Stadium distributed a total number of 1800 volleyballs and 144 nets to all the 35 states of the federation and the FCT in one of the Federation’s strategies to popularise the game as well as take the volleyball to the nooks and crannies of the country.

    The president of the NVBF Engineer Habu Gumel was all smiles as the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Dr. Patrick Ekeji, who represented the sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, presented the kits to the 23 states that were present at the presentation ceremony.

    Gumel, who is also the 1st vice president of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), said the gesture is courtesy of the International Volleyball body as part of it’s global development programme, and expressed hope that the support will impact positively on the sports development in the states generally as well as on the overall effort to engage youths meaningfully through the game of volleyball.

    “Today, the volleyball game played at professional level is big time business, no wonder the FIVB has deemed it fit to extend its hands of fellowship to the Nigeria Volleyball Federation in terms of balls and nets. The Federation places so much premium on providing these basic materials as our success is very essential and crucial for the progress of the game, hence we place much effort to achieve this”, he said.

    The minister also commended the president and the NVBF Board for their efforts in lifting the game in the country. “I think this is the very first time this gesture would be coming from the International body to help the game from the grassroots and we are very happy about this”, he disclosed.

  • Team Lagos cruise into volleyball semi-finals

    Team Lagos cruise into volleyball semi-finals

    LAGOS STATE on Monday qualified for the semi-finals of the female Volleyball event of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival. Team Lagos defeated Team Adamawa in one-sided game decided at the Volleyball court of the Teslim Balogun in the first quarter-finals game.

    The Lagos team dominated the proceedings from the start as the North Eastern side failed to match them in the three sets, losing all the sets to the all-conquering team. The hosts showed they were for business from the blast of the umpire’s whistle in the first set, beating them mercilessly. They continued the trend in the last two rounds as Adamawa capitulated completely. Lagos will now meet Team Delta in the semi-final today at the same venue.