President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVF), Musa Nimrod, has affirmed the body’s readiness to host the final round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games’ women beach volleyball qualifier when sporting activities eventually returns in Nigeria and across the globe. He added that the national women volleyball team has a chance of qualifying for the Olympics if Nigeria gets the nod to host the championship.
According to Nimrod, the global COVID-19 pandemic situation will come into play when the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) decides the host for the final round of the Olympic qualifiers.
He revealed that the federation was working hard to avoid what happened four years ago where Egypt clinched the sole beach volleyball ticket in Nigeria.
“Nigeria intends to host the final round of the Tokyo 2021 Beach Volleyball women’s Olympic qualifiers. We do not want to miss the Olympic Games this time around like what happened four years ago. The nation failed to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics in Abuja where Egypt got the ticket in front of our home fans.
“The Federation is indicating interest to host the final round of the women’s qualification in the country, but we hope not to commit silly mistakes for the second time on home soil. The men’s beach volleyball team should have played their own qualifiers in Mozambique last March, but our players are still keeping fit during the COVID-19 lockdown because we told them to stay fit. Once sporting activities resume, the men’s team will be on their way to Mozambique for the second round of the Beach Volleyball Qualifiers,” he said
The Kaduna-based administrator disclosed that volleyball activities would resume across the country when the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development give the directive.
“Players, coaches and referees are eager to return to the court, but as law-abiding citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we must await directives from the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
“Once the restriction on sports is lifted, the League Organising Committee of the Nigeria Volleyball Premier League will meet to deliberate when the league will resume,” Nimrod said.
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