The National Sports Commission has hailed Nigeria’s beach volleyball pair, Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa, after they secured the country’s maiden ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, described the duo as a potential podium team, praising the synergy between the Commission and the Nigeria Volleyball Federation that helped deliver the historic feat.

“Congratulations to the Volleyball Federation. This is true Federation leadership in true collaboration with the NSC,” Olopade said.

“The fast growth of Volleyball and Beach Volleyball is something I have been talking about for months. And they are a potential podium team at the Olympics.”

Mbah and Bawa sealed the feat on Saturday, August 22, defeating Morocco 2-0 in the women’s final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, to claim Africa’s only ticket to the global showpiece and hand Nigeria their first-ever qualification for the Olympic beach volleyball event.

NVBF President, Musa Nimrod, said the qualification was a reward for years of near misses, noting that Nigeria had reached the final of the championship on three previous occasions without success.

“I wish to congratulate Nigerians and thank God. This is the fourth time we are going into the finals; we finished in second place on three occasions,” Nimrod said.

“God has done it for us on our fourth trial and given us victory. It is not the Nigeria Volleyball Federation’s success alone but the entire nation.”

Nimrod also commended the National Sports Commission and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, for their support during the federation’s 16-year wait for the breakthrough.