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 center stage in Lagos from
April 9th to 12th. The competition will unfold simultaneously across two
venues: the Yabatech Sports Complex and the UNILAG Sports Complex.
The press conference marking the launch of the MTN
CHAMPS Continental Relays for Season 3 was held at MTN’s Headquarters in Lagos,
bringing together several dignitaries. 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.
In her welcome address, Ikenna reiterated MTN’s
commitment to nation building. She said:
“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.
“We have remained committed to our vision and the
journey thus far has been exceptionally remarkable. We have witnessed young and
raw athletic talents from across the country push themselves to the limits,
defy all odds, and inspire us with their talents as they compete in the Track
and in the Field events. 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, “
Representing MoC Founder/CEO Bambo Akani at the event,
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 LSCC DG affirmed Lagos State’s support for sports
development. He said: “I’m delighted to be here today. We have been listening
to the testimonies of change, of transformation, of inspiration, of future that
is assured, and I want to say a big thank you to MTN. There’s no better way to
describe this event than saying that it is exceptional. It is an inspiration
even to us as a government. Mr. Governor is actually very deliberate in
ensuring that there is total transformation, not just in Athletics, but all
sports.”
Alao, who represented the AFN President at the event
said: “Having MoC in partnership with MTN, I dare say that the sky is the
limit. We are most appreciative of the work done so far. This is the third
edition and every year it keeps improving. The AFN is not only proud of this
partnership; it is something that we make noise about. If we have more
corporate bodies get up and support sports in general, then our society will be
better for it. We are looking forward to seeing all these future champions not
only make gains on the track, but also in life through their academics or one
vocation on the other.”
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.
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