Izuchukwu OkosiThe Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) has unveiled its beach volleyball squad for the 2023 African Beach Games in Tunisia.
The 2023 African Beach Games will be hosted by Tunisia from 23rd to 30th June at the Yasmine Hammamet resort in Tunisia.
The NVBF named 12 players in the squad consisting of six men and six women as well as two coaches.
The list made available by the Secretary General of the NVBF, Ngozi Amayo, also has 2022 National Beach Volleyball Tour Champions, Obayemi Ogunshina and Hilary Simon (men) as well as Albertina Francis and Happy Wushilang (women).
Other players selected for the African Beach Games include the 2022 National Sports Festival Champion, Uchenna Okereafor and Peter Ibrahim (men), and highly experienced Francisca Ikhiede and Tochukwu Nnoruga (women).
Kayode Ajilore will handle the men’s team while John Iwerima takes charge of the women’s team.
Coach of the men’s team, Kayode Ajilore said Nigeria will perform extremely well at this year’s African Beach Games.
The Nigeria Immigration Service gaffer said the players have the capacity of delivering medals for the country this time.
He said, “The beach volleyball teams Nigeria is parading have a point to prove at the 2023 African Beach Games. The players have been playing various beach volleyball tournaments in the country including the National Sports Festival, National Beach Volleyball Tour, and the President Cup.
“Each player going to Tunisia has played not less than 70 matches in the last two years; this has put them in good shape. The only way the players can reward the country is by winning medals.
Meanwhile, the President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimrod commended the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development for including beach volleyball amongst the teams to participate at the 2023 African Beach Games.
He charged the players to give their best and ensure the national anthem is sung on the podium.
FULL SQUAD
Male
Obayemi Ogunshina, Hilary Simon, Peter Ibrahim, Emenike Ezike, Uchenna Okereafor, and Philip Zaka
Female
Esther Mbah, Albertina Francis, Tochukwu Nnoruga, Naomi Yaro, Francisca Ikhiede and Happy Wushilang
Coaches:
Kayode Ajilore and John Iwerima
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
Follow Us