Team Nigeria claimed the gold medal in the women’s beach volleyball event at the ongoing African Youth Games in Angola after a convincing 2–0 victory over Team Egypt on Sunday, December 14.
The Nigerian duo of Pamela Bawa and Joy Lawrences dominated the final, winning in straight sets 21–17, 21–15, to crown an impressive campaign with the top prize and further underline Nigeria’s growing strength in the sport on the continent.
President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Engineer Musa Nimrod, praised the players for their outstanding performance, describing the victory as a proud moment for the country.
Nimrod, who also doubles as President of the CAVB Beach Volleyball Commission, said the gold medal partly made up for Nigeria’s absence from two recent World Championships in Qatar and Australia.
According to him, Nigeria is steadily establishing itself as a powerhouse and emerging home of beach volleyball in Africa, a status reflected in the consistent performances of the women’s team at major competitions.
Nimrod also revealed that the long-term target of the Nigeria Beach Volleyball Commission is qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, noting that Nigeria narrowly missed out after finishing second in the last two Olympic qualification campaigns.
“I want to congratulate the players for making the country proud at the African Youth Games in Angola. Pamela Bawa and Joy Lawrences have written Nigeria’s name in gold,” Nimrod said.
“The duo missed two World Championships, but this medal means a lot to the Federation and the country. I also want to commend coach John Iwerima for his proper guidance.”
The NVBF president further applauded the National Sports Commission for ensuring Nigeria’s participation in beach volleyball at the African Youth Games, expressing optimism that the sport will continue to deliver medals for the country at both continental and global levels.
Nigeria’s gold medal success adds to the nation’s growing medal haul at the Games and reinforces its reputation as one of Africa’s leading forces in beach volleyball.
