More than 2,500 athletes from 155 secondary schools and 158 teams from clubs, states, and universities will begin their quest for glory at the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays in Lagos from April 9 to 12. The competition will take place simultaneously at the Yabatech Sports Complex and the UNILAG Sports Complex.
A press briefing to launch the third season of the MTN CHAMPS Continental Relays was held at MTN’s Headquarters in Lagos, attended by several dignitaries. These included 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.
Also present were the 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.
Ikenna-Emeka reiterated MTN’s commitment to nation-building through sports, stating, “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 football and athletics. In 2023, we launched the MTN CHAMPS with a clear vision to discover and nurture young athletic talents to build future Olympians for Nigeria.”
In his remarks, MoC Founder/CEO Bambo Akani who was represented by 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.
Alao, representing the AFN President, 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 or 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 (U14) athletes from schools who are unavailable from Day 1 to 3 due to examination commitments will have the opportunity to compete on Day 4 at the UNILAG Sports Complex.