By Joel Ajayi
After several days of intense action, excitement, and high-level competition among 12 participating nations, the 2025 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Championship concluded on Thursday in Abuja, with Nigeria putting up an impressive showing.
The Gambia emerged champions in the men’s category, followed by Congo, while Nigeria secured third and fourth positions. In the women’s category, Nigeria dominated, finishing both first and second.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at Jabi Lake, President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVF), Engineer Musa Nimrod, commended all stakeholders whose contributions ensured the resounding success of the championship.
“It’s been a week of nonstop action here at Jabi Lake. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. As far as I and the CAVB are concerned, the competition was of a very high standard. Feedback from the international community has been overwhelmingly positive. The organization was top-notch, and we are grateful for that,” Nimrod said.
While acknowledging the financial challenges that often affect sporting events, he expressed satisfaction that the Federation was able to overcome those hurdles to deliver a successful tournament.
Looking ahead, Nimrod pledged that Nigeria’s athletes will commence immediate preparations for upcoming international championships. He revealed that the female teams will head straight to camp in preparation for the Olympic Solidarity event in The Gambia, which is scheduled to take place in the next two weeks.
“The girls are going straight into camp because we have a busy calendar. The Olympic Solidarity event in The Gambia is key, as we’re already building towards the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal. Our U-18 team will head to Doha for the World Championship, while the senior team will travel to Australia for their World Championship,” he explained.
He added that Nigeria will also compete in the Zone 3 Senior Championship in Abidjan between August and September, emphasizing that there will be no break in training and competition for the athletes.
“We are proud of their performance and remain committed to giving them all the support they need to succeed on the global stage,” Nimrod concluded.
