Olympic dream comes early for Nigeria’s prodigy Pamela Bawa in Dakar

At only 15 years, Pamela Bawa has the special tag of being the only player at the ongoing Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games to have qualified for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 and she is wearing it with pride!

Pamela qualified for LA28 alongside her partner Esther Mbah after defeating Alexandra Erhart & Nora Nezha Jihane Darrhar of Morocco in straight sets (21-18, 21-11) in the final of the 2026 CAVB African Beach Volleyball Championship. The winners of the 2026 continental championships earned a quota spot for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

It was their first senior African title as a pair and perfect reward for the Nigerian duo who narrowly lost by 1-2 (21-15, 16-21, 08-15) to Egypt’s Doaa Elghobashy and Marwa Abdelhady in the final of the 2024 CAVB Continental Cup to miss out on the sole slot reserved for Africa at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

“It’s a big achievement and a big statement about Nigeria’s beach volleyball. Everybody back home is proud of us and supporting our preparations. They want us to perform beyond expectations in LA28. I’m happy that I have gotten the opportunity to play in the Dakar Youth Olympics. I see this tournament as preparation for LA28 and I’m determined to go all the way to the podium.

“There are so many good teams over here so it’s going to be challenging and part of my learning curve. The entire experience of being in an Olympic village is also teaching me what to expect in LA28,” Pamela told FIVB.com.

Dakar 2026 has presented a reunion for Pamela with her junior partner Joy Lawrence. Together, they won the Africa Under 18 Championship and African Youth Games titles last year in Abuja and Luanda respectively. While Esther usually takes Pamela under her wings during senior competitions, it’s Pamela who is expected to hold Joy’s hand in junior tournaments; a responsibility she relishes every time they are on court.

“It’s not easy playing in the senior competitions because it's more competitive and there's a lot of pressure outside from the coaches and fans. Esther is more experienced and guides me a lot on court. She has been a good partner and pushes me a lot because she knows my mentality and potential,” offered Pamela, who first came into contact with volleyball at her hometown Nyanya in Abuja.

“I’ve had a short time to prepare and adapt to playing with Joy again. It’s important that we play as a team and believe in ourselves. I always see myself as a champion and this is the kind of mentality that I always want us to bring on court,” added Pamela who just cleared high school at Government Secondary School (GSS) Nyanya.

Back home, Pamela juggles her time between indoor and beach volleyball but the Abuja native sees her long term future on the sand.

“I enjoy beach volleyball because it evokes more passion than indoor volleyball. Beach volleyball is a game that strengthens you and makes you realise that you can achieve anything as long as you've trained your mind to it.

“It’s just the two of you on the court and you're required to put your minds together and achieve a particular goal. Having that teamwork, dedication and mindset is something that pushes you more even in life,”said Pamela, who plays as an outside hitter for Vipers in the Nigerian Premier League.

After winning her maiden African senior title this year, Pamela believes there are no limits to what she can achieve moving forward. She has now set her sights on gold in Dakar 2026 and a podium finish in LA28.

“We’re targeting gold here in Dakar but just reaching the podium will be historic for us. I know I have a long way to go in the sport but I strongly believe that one day I’ll be an Olympic champion in beach volleyball,” underlined Pamela with deep conviction.