Teams from six African countries are expected to join hosts Nigeria on Monday in Abuja for the 14th African Nations Volleyball Championship in Junior Women, an official has said.
Adisa Beyioku, Secretary-General of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja that the teams included those from Algeria and Egypt.
He listed other countries whose teams were being expected as Tunisia, Kenya, Rwanda and Congo Democratic Republic.
NAN reports that the championship, which is an under-19 event, is scheduled for March 11 to March 17 at the Indoor Sports Hall at the Package B of the Abuja National Stadium.
“The teams are expected to be in by Monday ahead of Tuesday’s technical meeting, while the tournament proper will hold from March 13 to March 16, and the teams will depart on Sunday.
“Matches in the competition will hold twice daily, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.,’’ Beyioku said.
He said all arrangements had been made for smooth organisation of the championship, adding that the teams would be accommodated at Serob Legacy Hotel.
“The tournament officials will be at the NICON Luxury Hotel.
“All arrangements regarding this have been completed, and all necessary logistics such as transportation, feeding and competition venue have also been put in place,’’ the NVBF secretary-general said.
He said the federation was still looking up to the National Sports Commission (NSC) for assistance in various ways to make the championship’s hosting impeccable.
“We still hope the NSC will come to our rescue in the areas of accommodation, venue, transportation and other logistics to make the event one of the best ever hosted in Nigeria,’’ Beyioku said.
He said the Nigerian team had also been well prepared for the championship, having been in camp in Abuja for more than two months.
“We have had our team in camp for some time now, and this is because the championship is very important to us in many respects.
“Not only in terms of winning to boost our profile, but to also develop our junior team and have players that will in the next few year graduate into the senior team,’’ Beyioku said.
He said the NVBF was very sure that the team would perform well at the championship and was looking forward to its success.
“We are very optimistic regarding this team, as we are expecting the team to qualify irrespective of the opponents.
“The championship is a qualifier for the 17th Women’s Under-20 World Championship which is scheduled for June 21 to June 30 in Brno, the Czech Republic.
“Their participation at the world championship will therefore be a big boost to the game in this country,’’ the NVBF official said.
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