Dakar 2026: Nigeria’s beach volleyball medal hopes end

Nigeria’s women’s beach volleyball team faced disappointment at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Tuesday as they lost to the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Pamela Bawa and Joy Lawrence were defeated 2-0 by Jara Both and Matilda de Groot, with the Dutch team winning 21-14, 21-16. The Netherlands had not dropped a set prior to facing Nigeria, who had reached the quarter-finals after defeating Thailand in the round-of-16.

Despite their group-stage victories over Japan and Egypt, as well as a loss to Italy, the Nigerian duo could not match the Dutch’s dominance. This defeat means Nigeria’s African Under-18 champions will miss out on the medal matches, while Both and de Groot advance to the semi-finals.