The Coordinator of Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Spikers Volleyball Teams, Commodore Aliyu Pindar has dedicated the National Volleyball League Championship Trophies to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (CFR).

CNS Spikers women’s team won the National Division 1 Volleyball League while the men’s team lifted the National Division 2 Volleyball League on Friday.

Pindar told journalists that the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (CFR) motivated the players and provided all the necessary logistics for them to excel.

The Chairman of FCT Volleyball Association revealed that the first step taken was to invite players for long camping exercise before exposing them to championships.

He said, “When the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo (CFR) came on board; he promised to reposition sports in the Nigerian Navy due to the long period of inactivities in sports in the Nigerian Navy over the years. Today, i beat my chest and say that the CNS has fulfilled his promise as our Sportsmen and Sportswomen are actively participating and representing States and Clubsides in National competitions/leagues in various sporting activities such as Volleyball, Football, Boxing, Judo/karate, Swimming, Polo, among others”.

“We give gratitude to the Chief of Naval Staff for the motivation, encouragement and unflinching support to the players. You can see the quality of the young players we brought in and have given them hope to know that there is prospect in the game of Volleyball”.

“Our success is also attributed to early camping and participation in various competitions. You could recall that based on the performance of CNS Spikers women’s team at the Kontagora championship, our team was nominated to represent Nigeria at the 2021 African Club Championship in Tunisia where the team made its first debut and defeated some notable teams from other African countries from Ethiopia & Cote D’IVoire despite appearing for the first time. We were proud because the last time a volleyball team from the Armed Forces was nominated to represent Nigeria was in 1984, that is 38 years ago. But the CNS Spikers Volleyball team has been able to break that jinx. The CNS Spikers Volleyball Club is prepared to represent the country again at international volleyball championships”.

“Today you can see the quality of players we paraded in the male and female categories which led to us winning the National Leagues (Division 1 and 2) topping. CNS Spikers volleyball teams were unbeaten in the first and second phase of the National Leagues; no team was able to beat them.

Pindar said CNS Spikers volleyball teams are ready for the challenge ahead in next year’s Nigeria Volleyball Premier League and National Division 1 Volleyball League.

He said, “The female team has moved to the Nigeria Volleyball Premier League while the male team has moved to Division 1. We are still going to beef up the teams and I can bet you that once we get to the Premier League, no team will be able to withstand us.

CNS Spikers won seven individual awards and they include: Most Valuable Player (male), Best Libero (male), Best blocker (male), Best Setter (male), Best Libero (female), Best blocker (female) and Best spiker (female).

  Abuja, Chief of Naval Staff, Commodore Aliyu Pindar, NVBF