Nigerian beach volleyball sensation Pamela Miyoum Bawa is targeting gold at the ongoing Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games while setting her sights on a podium finish at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
The 15-year-old, who is competing alongside her junior partner Joy Lawrence, expressed confidence in her ability to achieve both ambitions, insisting that her ultimate dream is to become an Olympic champion.
“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,” Bawa told FIVB.com.
Bawa and Lawrence have progressed to the women’s beach volleyball round of 16 at Dakar 2026, where they will face Thailand’s Ainthira Ninsonthi and Phatthanan Wongnongwaeng for a place in the quarter-finals.
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The Nigerian pair finished second in Pool D despite losing their final group match 2-0 to Italy’s Margherita Coretti and Micol Lafuenti on Sunday.
For Bawa, the Youth Olympics represents another important step in her development as she prepares for the challenge of competing at the senior Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
At just 15, the Nigerian already has a significant milestone to her name, having qualified for LA28 alongside her senior partner, Esther Mbah, after winning the 2026 CAVB African Beach Volleyball Championship.
The duo defeated Morocco’s Alexandra Erhart and Nora Nezha Jihane Darrhar 2-0 (21-18, 21-11) in the final to secure the continental title and Nigeria’s qualification spot for the Los Angeles Games.
The triumph marked their first senior African title as a pair and provided redemption after their narrow defeat to Egypt in the final of the 2024 CAVB Continental Cup, which denied Nigeria a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Bawa has described her qualification for LA28 as a major achievement for Nigerian beach volleyball, while highlighting the importance of the Dakar Youth Olympics in preparing her for the challenges ahead.
“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,” she said.
Bawa is also relishing the opportunity to reunite with Lawrence, with whom she won the Africa Under-18 Championship and African Youth Games titles in Abuja and Luanda, respectively, last year.
While Mbah guides the teenager during senior competitions, Bawa is expected to take on a leadership role when playing alongside Lawrence in junior tournaments.
Having first encountered volleyball in her hometown of Nyanya, Abuja, Bawa has quickly established herself as one of Nigeria’s promising young talents. She recently completed her secondary education at Government Secondary School, Nyanya.
With a place in the round of 16 secured, Bawa and Lawrence will now look to overcome Thailand and keep their gold-medal ambitions alive in Dakar, as the teenager continues her journey towards fulfilling her dream of becoming an Olympic champion.
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