Gumel praises Mbah, Bawa after 2-0 Los Angeles 2028 qualification

Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa have secured Nigeria’s first Olympic beach volleyball qualification after beating Morocco 2-0 in the women’s final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria, Egypt. Nigeria won the match 21-17, 21-10 on August 22 to claim the continent’s only Olympic quota from the championship and book a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

Nigeria Olympic Committee president Habu Gumel described the result as a landmark achievement for the country. He credited the pair’s determination, commitment and hard work, saying their success had opened a new chapter in Nigerian sporting history.

The qualification also ends a 16-year wait for Nigeria to return to the Olympic beach volleyball stage. It is the country’s first qualification for an Olympic volleyball competition, after previous Olympic cycles ended without the required ticket. Mbah and Bawa had come close before, but delivered their decisive performance when the qualification place was at stake.

The Nigerian team entered the Alexandria championship as the fourth seed. The pair had won bronze at the previous edition, but improved on that result to take the continental title and secure the sole African place available through the event. Gumel also recognised the role of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation and its president, Musa Nimrod, in the development of the team and the country’s beach volleyball programme.

Gumel said the achievement should encourage other Nigerian athletes and teams preparing for Los Angeles. He also linked the qualification to the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. The National Sports Commission has placed Mbah and Bawa in its Elite and Podium Board training grant programme as preparations begin for the Games.

Nimrod has warned that qualification is only the first stage of the Olympic campaign. The pair need sustained international competition, including about five World Tour events, to improve their ranking and avoid an unfavourable draw in Los Angeles. Nigeria’s historic place is secured, but the team’s preparation will now determine how well it competes on the Olympic stage.