.The inaugural class of 20 MTN CHAMPS MVPs from Seasons 1 and 2 selected to join the MoC Athletics Academy in Lagos has been unveiled.
The athletes comprising 5 Female Sprinters, 3 Female Quartermilers, 7 Male Sprinters, and 5 Male Quartermilers were announced at a special unveiling ceremony and Press Conference held at the MTN Headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos, on August 21st, 2024.
Meanwhile, the athletes (Team MTN) are expected to be in the Academy for an initial one year, after which their stay in the Academy will be reviewed based on their performance during the initial one
year.
MTN Champs: Building The Next Olympians
During the unveiling, MTN’s General Manager of Brand and Communication, Emamoke Ogoro,
disclosed the reasons behind creating the MTN CHAMPS platform.
“The reason we started MTN CHAMPS was for the Nigerian and African pride. At the last Olympics, the buzz was around the American and Jamaican athletes. We want that to change. We want Nigeria to dominate the world as well. When Bambo came last year with the plan, I was excited because I remember when I used to follow the Mobil Athletics National Trials in the 90s.
We want to be a part of these athletes’ stories so that when they make it to the Olympics, we can say they were products of MTN CHAMPS. To the athletes, don’t relent on your training and you will be future Nigerian Olympic Champions.”
Furthermore, in his address, MTN CEO Karl Toriola expressed his excitement at the unveiling of the 20 athletes into
the MoC Academy.
“Today, as we induct the MVPs into the MoC Athletics Academy powered by MTN, we are filled with a sense of pride.
The Academy is more than a training ground. It’s a platform where talent is recognized and honed, where dreams are nurtured and passion translates into performance and shaping the future of Nigeria’s Athletics.”
MOC And MTN Partnership Building Future Stars From The Cradle
Making of Champions (MoC) Founder, Bambo Akani, lauded the efforts of MTN in providing the
much-needed platform to identify athletes who would be world beaters. Also, he praised the cooperation of the competition’s partners, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria School
Sports Federation (NSSF).
“The unveiling of these 20 athletes is the culmination of the most extensive nationwide
talent search that Nigeria has ever seen, with 15,000 athletes from 900 schools and teams screened nationwide and we’ve chosen the 20 best athletes across the nation to begin training for the 2028 Olympics. We say a big thank you to MTN for the incredible platform that MTN CHAMPS has created for athletes across Nigeria,this is indeed a contribution of national importance that is contributing greatly to our goal of Nigerian athletes winning up to 10 medals at the LA 2028 Olympics.”
The MTN Champs MVPs
Meanwhile, the 20 athletes who have already resumed at the Academy are:
Female Sprinters: Azeezat Muhammed-Raji, Lucy Nwankwo, Mercy Ogbonna, Toheebat Jimoh and
Jane Onyeneho.
Female Quartermilers: Chizoba Onyemauwa, Miracle Uwem, and Patience Joseph
Male Sprinters: Fervent Edet, Alvin Onyeama, David Nda-Isaiah, Kehinde Ojo, Khalil Saleh,
Emmanuel Oyewale and Showers Ushie.
Male Quartermilers: Benjamin Magaji, Ezekiel Eno, Emmanuel Obi, Prosper Ushie and Stephen
Adejumo.
