The organisers of MTN Athletics Champs Season 3 have announced that 40 Most Valuable Performers (MVPs) have emerged from the Benin and Lagos regional legs of the grassroots competition, ahead of the grand finale in Uyo.
In a statement released on Tuesday, General Manager of Brand and Communications at MTN Nigeria, Mrs Emmamoke Ogoro, said the MVPs 20 athletes were selected from the cities of Benin in Edo and Lagos.
According to her, the athletes were selected from 30 schools across the two states, respectively, after the regional competitions.
“The grand finale of MTN Champs Season 3 is set to electrify Uyo from Tuesday to Friday at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
“This event follows the successful Athletics Classics in Benin held in March 13–15 and the Continental Relays held in Lagos April 9–12,” she said
The organisers revealed that about 2,187 athletes registered to compete in over 5,807 events at the Uyo finals, highlighting national grassroots athletic interest.
Ogoro said the participants include 464 Cadets, 777 Youths, 426 Juniors, and 520 Seniors who qualified through earlier regional sporting competitions.
She added that the Benin athletics classics attracted 2,056 entries, while the Lagos continental relays had 2,505 entries across multiple track and field disciplines.
“MTN Champs, Nigeria’s largest grassroots sports competition, aims to discover and nurture young athletic talent from local communities nationwide.
“After four days of intense competition, Season 3 will end with 10 athletes inducted into Making of Champions(MoC) Academy for mentorship, scholarships, and international opportunities.
“The dream of seeing Nigeria on the global athletic stage is a powerful vision we are determined to accomplish through dedicated grassroots programs.
“We believe in progress for Nigerians. Supporting youth development through sports is essential to helping young people pursue and realise their dreams,” she said.
She noted that since launching in 2023, MTN Champs had welcomed over 15,000 athletes from 900 schools across Nigeria, showcasing exceptional grassroots engagement and talent discovery.” Ogoro added.
Ogoro said, “It gladdens my heart to witness young athletes break personal records and set as many as ten new ones.”
“When ten records are broken, it shows we’re approaching world-class standards. We’ve identified great talent throughout the regions we’ve visited,” she said.
According to her, within a year, the aim is for these athletes to begin participating in international competitions representing Nigeria with pride.
“From there, we’re looking toward Olympic preparations, where Nigeria should appear in countries like the USA or Mexico on the global stage,” she added.
MOC Country Manager, Deji Ogeyingbo, explained that Akwa Ibom was chosen to host the grand finale due to its outstanding support.
“The goal is to tour all states. Every Nigerian child deserves this opportunity to shine and grow through equal access to national sporting platforms,” he said.
“Some states stand out, and Akwa Ibom is one of them. We hosted Season One here and felt it was important to return again,” he added.
Callima Inino, Regional General Manager, Operations, East, MTN Nigeria, disclosed that 20 top athletes from past seasons now study in Lagos academy on scholarship.
“What MTN Champs offers through the academy is the three Es: Education, Exposure, and Experience to help athletes develop necessary life and sports skills,” Inino concluded.(NAN)
