Nigeria’s beach volleyball team have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after defeating Thailand in straight sets, keeping the country’s medal hopes alive.
The Nigerian duo secured a 21-16, 21-13 victory over their Thai opponents under coach Super Kay to book a place in the last eight of the competition.
The win represents a major boost for Nigeria’s campaign at the Games, with the team now set to face the remaining contenders as they pursue a podium finish.
In swimming, Nigeria’s Kashope Obatoyinbo finished fourth in Heat 7 of the men’s 100m freestyle in 53.81 seconds, placing 29th overall among 73 competitors.
The 16-year-old will return to action on Wednesday in the men’s 50m freestyle.
Tobiloba Omolola Akinsanmi finished fifth in her women’s 100m freestyle heat in 1:03.33. She failed to qualify for the next round but gained valuable international experience.
Nigeria’s table tennis campaign ended after Matthew Kuti and Favour Ojo were eliminated in their respective preliminary-round matches.
Ojo suffered her third defeat in a four-player group, while Kuti lost 0-3 to Italy’s Francesco Travesan despite having an opportunity to progress to the knockout stage.
Only the top two players in each group qualified for the next round.
Algeria’s Tania Morice and Egypt’s Abdelmalk Elsayed remain Africa’s representatives in the table tennis competition.
Nigeria’s quarter-final qualification in beach volleyball remains the country’s major highlight of the Games, while the swimmers’ outings provide valuable exposure for the young athletes.
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