By Aderonke Ojo
The President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Musa Nimrod, on Wednesday unveiled Japanese volleyball expert Ryan Masajedi as the new Technical Adviser/Coach to Nigeria’s national volleyball teams.
The unveiling ceremony took place at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Package B, Abuja, on Wednesday, in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Nimrod said the appointment was part of the federation’s long-term development plan in line with the support programme of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB).
He explained that after extensive discussions with the world volleyball governing body, an agreement was reached to bring in Masajedi for a 12-month development programme, instead of the usual three-month arrangement provided by FIVB for teams preparing for major competitions.
“Normally, FIVB provides only three months for coaches, especially towards Olympic qualification. But after discussions, they agreed that Nigeria should have a 12-month calendar programme with the coach,” Nimrod said.
The NVBF president added that Masajedi would work closely with national coaches, helping to improve their technical knowledge and ensuring continuity in the development of volleyball in Nigeria.
Masajedi, who has worked with Japan’s junior national teams and some of the world’s top volleyball coaches, expressed his excitement about joining the Nigerian volleyball project.
He said he was impressed with the progress already made by Nigerian teams and players, adding that his role would be to contribute to the growth of the sport.
