Nigeria’s beach volleyball men team A and B, yesterday brightened their chances of playing at the 2012 London Olympic Games with a two straight set defeat of their Burundian counterpart in the opening match of the zonal phase in round two of the Confederation of African Beach Volleyball Continental Cup and Olympic qualifier in Abuja.
The Nigerian team coach Charkuma Ismail lived to his pre-tournament boast with a 21-20 and 21-14 smashing of Burundian team B in the first match. In the second match, Nigeria’s team B also thrashed Burundi team A 21-19, 21-15 in a two straight set.
Eight countries –Nigeria, Gambia, Congo, Burundi, Mauritius, Angola, Cave-Verde and Ethiopia are all competing for the top four spots of the men and women categories in order to keep their chances of qualifying for the London Games alive.
On the way to London, the team is expected to go through four phases round of qualifier to qualify for the London Olympic Games. The first round of the qualifying series held in the Republic of Benin earlier this year for the West African zone, coach Ismail tutored team qualified alongside other ten teams to the second round. Also, in the second phase of the qualifier held in Accra, Ghana, Nigerian women and men teams came top respectively.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND Sports before the tournament, chairman of the Nigeria Beach Volleyball Committee, Musa Nimrod, expressed confident that the Nigerian teams will pick the ticket to the London Games. “I am very sure that both the men and female teams will be representing Nigeria and Africa in general very well at the Olympic Games. We have the best squad that comprises of young and old players in the team, and I don’t think any team will be a stumbling block to our dream of representing Africa at the London Olympic Games,” he assured.