The Technical Director of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Martin Melandi, has said the 2024 National Beach Tour is to hunt for talents in preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Speaking at the sideline of the just concluded 2024 National Beach Volleyball Star/Open Tour at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria in Ibadan, Oyo State, Melandi confirmed that the federation aspires to secure the ticket for the next Olympics and also participate in Commonwealth games scheduled for Glasgow in 2026.
“We aspire to have a ticket for the Olympics and to also participate in Commonwealth games and to always maintain our standard as the top team in Africa, by maintaining podium finishes at International and continental competitions.
“The current girls that participated in the last Olympic qualifier are just going to be 19 years old, our U-19 girls are the top in Africa, they won the African championship in Morocco and they were second at the Olympic qualifier that has only one ticket, if not our girls would have been in the Olympics that just-ended in France this year.
“By the next Olympics 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 to make beach volleyball popular and widely acceptable in the country while also pursuing the 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.
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