2500 Athletes from 155 Secondary Schools Set  to Battle for MTN CHAMPS Honours in Lagos

More than 2,500 athletes from 155 secondary schools and 158 other Teams (Clubs, States, Universities, etc) will begin their quest for glory as the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays takes centre stage in Lagos from today, April 9th to  April 12th. The competition will unfold simultaneously across two venues: the Yabatech Sports Complex and the UNILAG Sports Complex.

Speaking at the press conference to herald the third edition of the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays held at MTN’s Headquarters in Lagos, yesterday, 

MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, describes the MTN CHAMPS as a platform that continues to grow, inspire, and transform the future of athletics in Nigeria.

“MTN CHAMPS is a platform that continues to grow, inspire, and transform the future of Athletics in Nigeria. At MTN, we’ve been committed to supporting the dreams and aspirations of Nigerians, not only through innovative solutions, but also through active involvement in socially impactful initiatives and programmes. This is why we are actively involved in sports, especially in Football and Athletics. In 2023, we launched the MTN CHAMPS with a clear vision to discover and nurture young Athletic talents with the goal of building future Olympians for Nigeria,” observed the MTN’s CMO.

She further expressed her delight at having the 20 top athletes selected from the MTN CHAMPS at the press conference.

“We have also discovered and selected 20 exceptional talents from different parts of Nigeria and they are here today where they are receiving coaching and training to represent Nigeria in future championships,” stressed Ikenna-Emeka.

Representing Making of Champions (MoC) Founder/CEO, Bambo Akani, at the event, Deji Ogeyingbo said: “At Making of Champions, we’ve made it a mandate to revive Track and Field in Nigeria. It’s our biggest sport judging by the medals we’ve won at the Olympics. Out of the 27 medals  won in total, 14 are from Athletics alone. We have the talent. How can we transition this talent to ensure that we win medals at the Olympic Games and the World Championships? We all love the fact that Tobi Amusan did something great about three years ago at the World Championships where she broke the World Record, and we need to be able to consistently replicate that.”

The Director General of the Lagos Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, affirmed Lagos State’s support for sports development. 

There were also goodwill messages from the Athletics Federation of Nigeria as well as the Nigerian School Sports Federation.

Athletes in the Cadet (U14) and Youth (U17) categories will compete at the UNILAG Sports Complex from Days 1 to 3 before relocating to the Yabatech Sports Complex on Day 4. 

Meanwhile, athletes in the Junior (U20) and Senior (no age limit) categories will compete at the Yabatech Sports Complex throughout all four days of the competition.

Youth (U17) and Cadet (U17) Athletes from schools who are unavailable from Days 1 to 3 due to examination commitments will have the opportunity to compete on Day 4 at the Unilag Sports Complex.

Among those in attendance were MTN’s Chief Marketing Officer, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka; Chief Finance Officer, Modupe Kadri; Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Obiageli Ugboma; Chief Information Officer, Shoyinka Shodunke; Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo, and General Manager, Brand and Communication, Emamoke Ogoro.

Others were Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lekan Fatodu; Board Member of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Dr. Solomon Alao; two-time Olympic medallist, Mary Onyali, Vice President of the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF), Emmanuel Ebong; Athletics Committee Secretary of the NSSF, Segun Omodunni, MoC Country Manager, Deji Ogeyingbo, MoC Athletics Academy Head Coach, Deji Aliu, and many others.