By Maxwell Kumoye/Omofoma Ebare
Nigeria’s beach volleyball champions Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa have been urged to immediately shift their focus from their historic African triumph to the bigger challenge awaiting them at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The duo returned home from Alexandria, Egypt, after winning the African Beach Volleyball Championship and securing Nigeria’s qualification ticket for the Olympic Games.
At a reception hosted by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, the champions were challenged to sustain the determination that propelled them to continental glory.
Adeniyi said the Olympic qualification should mark the beginning of a serious preparation programme rather than the end of the journey.
“I want to charge you to take this same determination, this same preparedness, this same desire, the thirst for glory. I want you to take this to the Olympics, and you can be sure that we’ll give you all the support that will give you a podium finish during the Olympics in 2028.”
The Customs boss’ message was clear, Nigeria’s beach volleyball representatives must arrive in Los Angeles properly prepared to compete for honours rather than merely make up the numbers.
Former Sports Minister Sunday Dare, who was also at the reception, stressed the importance of sustained investment in the athletes.
Speaking to the champions and their teammates at Vipers Volleyball Club, Dare said the athletes had an opportunity that previous generations of Nigerian sportsmen and women did not always enjoy.
“If no one invests in you at this point when you’re young and brilliant and strong, you will never make it to the podium. But you have found someone who is a leader, who is a lover of sports, investing in you, believing in you, pushing you, challenging and supporting you.”
For Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa, however, the African title is already becoming a stepping stone towards a much bigger objective.
The players acknowledged that the Olympics would present a different level of competition and said they were prepared to rethink their approach in order to compete effectively against the world’s best.
“We are going for a high-level competition, and we are not going to use the normal way we use, the traditional way. We have to think outside the box and try to do things that will make us dominate over there.” Esther Mbah said.
The qualification has placed the Nigerian pair in a position to make history again, but the champions know that success in Los Angeles will depend on what happens between now and 2028.
With preparations expected to begin in earnest, Omba and Bawa now have their sights firmly set on converting their African dominance into an Olympic podium finish.
