AAG: Danagogo, Gumel Commend Volley Team

The Sports Minister,Tamuno Danagogo, and Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) President, Engineer Habu Gumel, has poured encomium on Nigeria volleyball teams (men and women) for qualifying for the All Africa Games (AAG) billed for Congo in September.

Danagogo said it is a thing of joy for Nigerian volleyball teams to have qualified for the AAG.

“I am really very happy for the volleyball men and women teams. The commission will do all within its power to give all the teams that qualified adequate preparation for the Games,” he said.

He urged the players not to rest in their oars until they win the gold medals in volleyball events at the games: “I employ the teams to train harder to win the needed gold medals for the country come September. And on our part, we will do our best to see that they have adequate preparation before the Games.”

Gumel on his part said NOC felicitates with the players and officials for qualifying for the Games.

“On behalf of the board of NOC I congratulate all the players and officials for this great feat. NOC will assist NVBF and the players in our own little way, so that they will excel in Congo,” he said.

The NOC president who is also the president of Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) charged the players to go all out to prepare well for the games and beat other qualified nations to the gold medals in the four invents.

The coach of the female team EzeamakaOguamalam said hard work, dedication and seriousness gave them the edge over other West African countries at the qualifiers.

Meanwhile, the captain of the male team Emmanuel Jatau has appealed to the Sports Ministry  to give the teams adequate training before the games, to enable them win the men’s elusive gold.

Nigeria it will be recalled has won several medals in the male event of the AAG, but the gold has been elusive. The nearest Nigeria has gotten is the 2-3 lost to Egypt in the final of Abuja 2003 All Africa Games, where the female team won the gold.