Sports Groove

...Cameroon take bronze By Maxwell Kumoye     Egypt ended a 23-year wait for the African women’s volleyball title after producing a dominant performance to defeat hosts Kenya 3-0 in the final of the 2026 Women’s African Volleyball Championship. The Egyptians overwhelmed Kenya 25-21, 25-15, 25-15 at the Kasarani Arena on Friday to claim their fourth continental crown and, in the process, secure Africa’s qualification ticket for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Egypt’s victory brought back memories of their previous triumphs in 1976, 1989 and 2003, with the latest success restoring the North Africans to the summit of African women’s volleyball. The hosts struggled to cope with Egypt’s intensity and organisation as the visitors established control early in the final. Kenya pushed hard in the opening set but Egypt held firm to take it 25-21 before stepping up their performance in the second and third sets. The 25-15, 25-15 victories in the final two sets completed a...

By Maxwell Kumoye   Nigeria’s remarkable 3-2 comeback victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo at the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Nairobi has earned high praise from Nigeria’s High Commissioner-Designate to Kenya, Ambassador Danlami Ibrahim, who described the performance as a true reflection of the Nigerian spirit. Nigeria fought back from two sets down to defeat DR Congo 20-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-13, 15-13 in a pulsating 9th-12th classification match on Tuesday. The comeback victory left Ambassador Ibrahim highly elated, as he praised the determination and fighting spirit of the Nigerian players. “I’m highly elated. To come back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, that is the stuff Nigeria is made of. You underrate Nigeria at your own peril,” Ibrahim said after the match. The ambassador said the team’s progress throughout the championship had been encouraging, particularly after suffering a 3-0 defeat to host Kenya in their opening game. “These girls have ...

  By Maxwell Kumoye Nigeria’s women’s volleyball team staged a remarkable comeback on Tuesday, rallying from two sets down to defeat the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 in a thrilling 9th-12th classification match at the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, Kenya. The Nigerians appeared destined for defeat after DR Congo claimed the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-22, putting Nigeria under immense pressure. However, Nigeria refused to surrender. The team responded strongly in the third set, winning 25-21 before producing a dominant performance in the fourth set to crush DR Congo 25-13 and force a decisive fifth set. The final set was a tense affair, but Nigeria held their nerve to edge DR Congo 15-13 and complete a stunning 3-2 comeback victory. The result reflected the fighting spirit of a Nigerian side that found another gear when the match appeared to be slipping away. Reacting after the dramatic victory, Nigeria’s head coach, Elishama Elam, expres...

By Maxwell Kumoye        Nigeria's teams continued their impressive run on Day 2 of the 2026 African Nations Cup Beach Volleyball Zone 3 Championship, delivering a good performances in both the men's and women's events in Badagry, Lagos State. The host nation's men's first team made light work of Liberia, cruising to a convincing 2-0 victory. Nigeria won the opening set 21-12 before wrapping up the contest with a dominant 21-6 second-set triumph to strengthen their position in the competition. In the women's category, Nigeria proved unstoppable as both of its teams recorded two straight-set victories each. Nigeria's first women's team began the day by thrashing Ivory Coast I 21-9, 21-9 before maintaining the momentum with another commanding display against Ghana I, winning 21-11, 21-13. Nigeria II also enjoyed a productive outing, defeating Côte d'Ivoire II 21-12, 21-18 before overcoming Ghana II 21-18, 21-15 to complete a perfect day for...

...Pledges greater investment in sports By Maxwell Kumoye   Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has reaffirmed his commitment to sports development within the Nigeria Police Force, pledging increased investment in volleyball and other sporting disciplines. Disu made the pledge while attending the final day of the first phase of the 3rd CGC Volleyball Premier League in Abuja on Saturday. Impressed by the performance of Police Machine in their victory over Sunshine Spikers, the IGP commended the players for their determination, resilience and fighting spirit despite operating with limited training resources. "You have seen the tenacity of a policeman in action. I am so happy to have been here today, and they have made me so happy," Disu said. "They have done so well. How else can I honour them? By owning the sport and sponsoring it. Definitely, we will do something like this, not only for volleyball but for judo and every other sport." The police chief stresse...

By Maxwell Kumoye      The first phase of the third edition of the CGC Volleyball Premier League comes to a close on Saturday in Abuja after an action-packed Day 12 produced a series of commanding victories and a handful of thrilling encounters across the men's and women's competitions. Several title contenders maintained their impressive form heading into the final day, with dominant straight-set victories highlighting the quality on display throughout the championship. In the women's category, NSCDC continued their fine run with a comfortable 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-14) victory over Benue Queens, while CNS Spikers brushed aside Lifecamp VC in equally convincing fashion, winning 25-14, 25-18, 25-12. NAF Rockets also secured maximum points after defeating Anambra Queens 3-0, although they were made to work in the opening set before sealing the contest 25-23, 25-17, 25-17. COAS Spikers produced one of the day's most dominant performances, overwhelming Olalomi R...