By: Gracious Akujobi
The Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) has pledged to set up a functional volleyball league in the country next season.
An NVBF Board member, Alhassan Yakmut, on Sunday in Abuja said the federation was working towards raising quality players through a sustainable league.
โHaving a functional league is our target now, because the federationโs Technical Director sent in a proposal to the effect that there should be a functional league and we have reasoned along with him.
โThis is because the players have always had competitions but these competitions have been ad hoc.
โFor a competition to raise the quality of players that we will need, there has to be a sustainable league structure; and that is what we are going to develop,โโ he said.
Yakmut added that the league would be part of the four-year strategic plan which the NVBF was working on.
He said the plan would include players and coachesโ development, as well as sponsorship.
โI assure you that as from next season, you will see a functional volleyball league in Nigeriaโ.
The board member who is also the Director of Grassroots Sports Development at the National Sports Commission (NSC) noted that the growth of volleyball had been steady but not rapid.
โThe growth of volleyball in Nigeria has been steady but not rapid.
โBut from what I saw at the Africa Sub-Zonal World Championship Qualifiers in Abuja during the past week, the coaches have done a good job.
โThey have selected players that will take us to `the promised landโ. All they need is the financial and moral support, from which we will do everything to ensure that the players are able to attain the pinnacle of their career,โ Yakmut said.
The senior male and female national teams qualified for the second phase of the World Championship Qualifiers after winning all their matches at the three-day competition.
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