—FIVB World Tourney qualifiers:
A contingent of the national women volleyball team, comprising 12 players and four officials, will depart Abuja today for Algeria.
Adisa Beyioku, secretary-general of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), said in Abuja that the contingent would leave for Cairo aboard Egypt Air.
He said the contingent would proceed from there to Algeria to arrive on February 22 for the 2014 FIVB World Championship qualifiers.
“The competition is the Women’s Final Phase Qualifiers Group T and is scheduled for February 22 to March 2, with the opening matches on February 23.
“The Nigerian team play their first game against hosts Algeria on Monday, February 24,’’ the NVBF secretary-general said.
He listed the other teams at the competition as Ghana, DR Congo, Botswana, Cameroon and Egypt.
“The Nigerian team will face Botswana on Febrjuary 25, Cameroon on February 26, DR Congo on February 27, Egypt on February 28 and Ghana on March 1.’’
Beyioku said the Nigerian contingent would be led by the NVBF Technical Director, Mr Tony Oghuma-Eghiemai, as head of delegation.
“Other officials on the delegation are Gloria Ret, Stephen Ekpo and Philo Egbuniwe, while players listed for the competition include Ladi Jalmet, Mercy Promise and Ene Jalmet.
`The rest players are Bukky Oluwatosin, Adesua Edeke, Esther Dusu, Esther Ahua, Ibironke Enimehin, Chinenye Nwosu, Chimdiya Ibe, Francisca Ikhiede and Nwamaka Okonmah,’’ he said.
The NVBF secretary-general assured that the team would do its best to make Nigerians proud as they had prepared intensively for the competition.
“The team has been camped for about three weeks by the federation, and we are confident that the team will not disappoint Nigerians,’’ he assured.
The competition in Algeria is Pool 1 of the qualifiers’ final phase, with the Pool 2 already ongoing and scheduled to end in Kenya on February 23.