Team MTN from the MoC Athletics Academy celebrated a glorious finish at the MTN CHAMPS Grand Final in Uyo, securing 16 medals and their second consecutive Junior title in Season 3 of the championships.
The team made a strong impression, achieving victories and Personal Bests (PBs) over the four-day meet. They scooped seven gold, eight silver, and one bronze medal across various events, building on their performances from the first and second legs in Benin and Lagos, where they won eight and 14 medals respectively, along with the junior category trophy.
Ezekiel Asuquo emerged as the standout performer for Team MTN for the second consecutive meet. The rising quarter-miler captured double gold medals in the junior (U-20) men’s division in Uyo, winning the 400m in 47.49s and the 200m in 21.39s. He also set a new lifetime best of 21.35s in the 200m heats, the fastest time across both junior and senior categories.
Asuquo extended his dominance, ensuring a 1-2 finish for Team MTN in the 400m, with teammate Stephen Adejumo winning silver in a close contest. Prosper Ushie placed 6th in the 400m final with 50.21s, while Emmanuel Obi finished 7th in the 400m and 6th in the 200m final.
Alvin Onyeama made his mark in the Junior men’s 100m, securing silver in 10.72s, a remarkable achievement following his PB of 10.62s in Lagos. Fellow Team MTN athletes Emmanuel Oyewale and Khalil Saleh also reached the Junior men’s final, finishing 6th and 8th respectively, with Saleh setting a new PB of 11.19s in the heats.
In the Junior women’s category, quarter-miler Toheebat Jimoh clocked 54.30s to take silver in the 400m, slicing nearly a second off her PB. Middle-distance prospect Patience Joseph secured silver in the junior women’s 800m (2:20.72) after a hard-fought race against Team MVP’s Elizabeth Olumide. Lucy Nwankwo followed up her Lagos heroics with silver in the Junior women’s 200m, clocking 24.45s. Azeezat Muhammed-Raji ran PBs of 12.09s and 24.92s in the 100m and 200m finals, finishing 7th in both events. Mercy Ogbonna improved her time in the Junior Women’s 200m from 25.85s in the heats to 25.64s in the semi-finals.
Team MTN’s relay squads were formidable, sweeping the 4x100m relay titles in the Junior category, winning both the men’s and women’s titles with times of 42.54s and 47.45s, respectively. They also secured gold medals in the Junior mixed 4x100m and 4x400m events, crossing the line in 44.74s and 3:32.26s.
On the senior side, Miracle Uwem Donald capped a stellar meet with two silver medals – first in the 400m (54.11s, PB) and then in the 200m (24.45s, PB), while teammate Jane Onyeneho narrowly missed out on a podium finish, placing 4th in the 400m (54.78s, PB) and claiming bronze in the 200m (24.48s).
Benjamin Magaji placed 4th in the 200m finals and 6th in the 400m. Showers Ushie competed in the 100m and anchored the Senior men’s 4x100m squad to gold in 41.62s.
In the Youth (U-17) Girls’ 400m, Chizoba Onyemauwa clinched silver with a time of 58.58s in the final. On the boys’ side, Fervent Edet clocked 11.92s in the 100m semifinals and also competed in the 200m heats.
After four days of intense competition, Team MTN clinched the mixed Junior trophy with 159 points, finishing ahead of Team MVP (110 points) and Team Akwa Ibom (81 points).
Akwa Ibom dominated the Senior category with 136 points, securing first place, while Team MTN finished 2nd with 55 points and Bayelsa State 3rd with 52 points.