No fewer than 2,300 athletes across Nigeria have registered for the grand finale of the National Secondary School Championship known as MTN Champs.
This was made known by Mr Bambo Akani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Making of Champions, on Monday in Calabar.
Akani said the MTN Champs initiative in Calabar was the second edition of the event and was meant to discover athletes for the nation.
“I think we have unlocked something very special in Nigeria and I have no doubt that some of the athletes we discover will represent Nigeria in the 2028 Olympics.
“We had 375 schools in season one but for the second edition, we have exceeded that with 400 schools registered and 8,000 athletes generally when in 2023 we had 7,000 athletes,” he said.
On her part Ms Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Nigeria said they have come a long way since the inception MTN Champs across four locations – Benin, Uyo, Ibadan and Abuja.
Sowho said the grand finale was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the nation’s athletes, coaches, organisers and to recognise the countless hours of training, the moments of triumph, and the bonds forged through a shared love of athletics.
“In every location, we witnessed athletes push beyond their limits, defy expectations, and inspire us with their passion.
“The top 12 athletes were awarded scholarships to the MoC Athletics Academy in Lagos, where they began training to represent Nigeria at the 2026 World U20 Championships in the United States.
“Seventy athletes selected from the previous four locations will participate in the Calabar Grand Finale as Team MVP, sponsored by MTN,” she said.
She added that the top 12 athletes from `Season 2′ would join Team MTN at the MoC Athletics Academy by September 2024, bringing the total number of Team MTN Athletes to 24.
Responding on behalf of Gov. Bassey Otu, Mrs Agnes Atsu, the State Commissioner for Sports, thanked MTN for coming to Calabar, adding that the state had facilities for track and field to host the MTN Champs.
Atsu said the state was ready to give MTN the support needed to ensure the success of the championship.
Similarly, Mr Emmanuel Ebong, the Vice President of Nigeria School Sports Federation, said having athletes educated while in sports was important.
He thanked MTN for the initiative while adding that the federation had mobilised its members in the Ministry of Education to support in ensuring that the event ran smoothly.
According to the organisers, MTN champs, which aims to unearth and foster athletic talent across the country, is modelled after the Jamaican high school champs.
It is poised to become the primary platform for identifying and nurturing promising athletes who could represent Nigeria. (NAN)
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