2014 YOG: Nigeria Optimistic Of Qualification

C

oach Chakuma Ismail
of the national beach volleyball team has assured that Nigeria will clinch one of Africa’s six tickets to the 2014 Youth Olympics Games (YOG) in Nanjing, China.

Ismail said this in a telephone interview with newsmen following the team’s last training session in Kaduna.

“It is almost two weeks now since we resumed camp and we have put in a lot of efforts to train very hard.

“We have been preparing seriously and I am happy to say that the players have been responding well and I am impressed by their performance so far.

“As we conclude our training programme, I can assure that we are fully ready to secure one of Africa’s six tickets to the YOG,’’ coach Ismail said.

The team, which is the national Under-17 team, is preparing for the YOG African Qualifiers scheduled for Ghana from April 10 to 15.

The team will, alongside teams from 13 other countries, vie for the six tickets available to Africa at the YOG.

The team has since March 26 resumed camping in Kaduna, with six male and six female players.

Only two players each in both the male and female categories will compete at the African qualifiers.

The YOG is the youth edition of the Olympic Games with stipulated athletes’ age limit of between 14 years and 18 years.

Beach volleyball, which replaced indoor volleyball, is one of 28 events to be competed for at the 2014 YOG billed for China from August 16 to 28.