MTN Nigeria has announced its sponsorship of a first-of-its-kind Schools’ Athletics Championship, MTN CHAMPS, organised by Sports Media and Management company, Making of Champions (MoC). The announcement was made at a press event held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday, 4 October 2023.
The MTN CHAMPS is a nationwide school sports tournament comprising four regional Athletics Championships across the North, South, East and West of the country from October to December 2023. The competition will host over 7,000 athletes from about 350 schools across the country. The regional championship across the four regions will be held in Benin, Uyo, Ibadan and Abuja, which will also host the grand finale where the best athletes from the regional championships will compete for national honours and the ultimate prize.
MTN CHAMPS aims to re-ignite the search for grassroots athletics across Nigeria. It hopes to discover and develop the athletes who will become sporting legends for the nation.
MoC has onboarded the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) as its Official Technical Partner, to ensure that races are electronically timed and results are ratified for global recognition by World Athletics and the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) as the Official School’ Partner, to ensure the widespread access and participation of schools and their students.
Commenting on the collaboration, Adia Sowho, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, said, “This championship embodies MTN’s commitment to the development of sports at its grassroots, fostering a new generation of athletes poised to shine on the world stage. We aspire to kindle the aspirations of young talents, providing them with a stage to excel in athletics and, in the process, mold them into global ambassadors who will hoist the Nigerian flag with pride.”
The grand prizes for this first season of MTN CHAMPS are 1-year training sponsorships for the 10 top athletes discovered at the MoC championship. MTN will be supporting as the title sponsor. In addition, these best talents could earn college or high school scholarships in the US or Jamaica, for a chance at further education and training.
The first edition of MTN CHAMPS will kick off with Benin regionals holding from October 12 to 14. Subsequent events will be held in Uyo from October 26 – 28; Ibadan from November 9 – 11, and Abuja from November 29 – December 1. The grand finale will see champions compete for national honours in Abuja on December 2.
Bambo Akani, CEO, MoC, expressed enthusiasm, stating, “We are delighted to partner with MTN, whose commitment to fostering sports excellence aligns perfectly with our vision at Making of Champions. Nigeria can become the No. 1 Track & Field nation in the world. Together, with this platform, we will enable young students and athletes realise their potential in academics and sports, to pursue their dreams.”
Registration for MTN CHAMPS is online. Interested schools or students can apply at https://mtnchamps.com/. Only recognised school officials such as the Principal, Games Master, PE Teacher, Athletics Coach or Captain can register a school’s entries. The deadline for registration is eight days before each event. After the deadline for each city, MTN CHAMPS will announce the final entry list of schools and athletes at least 4 days before the competition period.
The MTN CHAMPS is expected to create a positive impact across the country, inspiring young athletes, encouraging participation in athletics, and ultimately contributing to the overall development of sports in Nigeria.