By Gracious Akujobi Kaduna’s male and female teams have won the third edition of the NVBF President’s Beach Volleyball Championships in Abuja, after winning all their matches at the two-day event.
In the championships held at the Jabi lakeside, Team Kaduna ranked first in the five-team male competition after four wins from four matches for eight major points and 195 minor points.
After one win from a game on Friday, the opening day, the champions went on to win three matches on Saturday to dislodge Team Charkuma who were opening day leaders.
Team Charkuma were second behind them, after a 2-1 win over Team Kogi (17-21, 21-10, 15-11), to secure three wins from four games for seven points.
In other matches in the male competition, Team Water Resources which finished third beat Team Karu 2-0 (21-15, 21-13), while Team Kogi beat Team Karu 2-0 (21-12, 21-13) to finish fourth.
In the female category, Team Kaduna beat all comers to top the rankings with three wins in three games for six major points and 140 minor points.
After a win a day earlier, they went ahead to beat Team Water Resources 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-9) and Team Karu 2-0 (21-12, 21-11).
Team Water Resources were second with two wins from three games, after a 2-0 win over Team Kogi (21-12, 21-9), with Team Karu third and Team Kogi fourth.
Chairman of NVBF Beach Volleyball Commission, Musa Nimrod said the Federation had achieved its aim with the organisation of the championship in spite of lean resources.
“We have achieved our aim, in spite of lean resources, as we have done our best to ensure the season gets underway with this championships”
“We have also been able to pencil down some of those we will soon invite to camp for future continental and global engagements,’’ Nimrod, who also doubles as board member of NVBF said.
In his closing remark, Director of Grassroots Sports Development in the National Sports Commission (NSC) Alhassan Yakmut, lauded the efforts of the organizers saying Nigeria Volleyball Federation has shown that beach volleyball has many talents who were waiting to be nurtured.
“This is a good competition and it has shown that there are lots of talents out there that could be nurtured to stardom”
“But I must say this is part of the emphasis now being laid on grassroots competitions and the NSC will continue to be part of it to ensure the right results are achieved” Yakmut said.
