Africa’s top athletes set for MoC Grand Prix in Lagos

National team athletes from Kenya, Sierra Leone, Cameroun, Togo and Benin Republic are expected to join their Nigerian counterparts in the third MoC Grand Prix in Lagos. The event, which has Tokyo Olympics qualification tickets up for grab, will hold between April 2 and 3 at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

Organisers of the event stated yesterday that over 500 athletes from across Africa have registered for the MoC Grand Prix.

Team Nigeria athletes listed for the third MoC Grand Prix are Commonwealth Games medallist and multiple African and National Champion, Patience Okon-George, African Games medallists, Kemi Francis and Emmanuel Arowolo, and African Championships medallist Samuel Kure.

They will be joined by other top Team Nigeria athletes, including Commonwealth Games medallist and National 100m champion, Joy Udo-Gabriel, African Games medallist and National 400m champion, Emmanuel Ojeli, National 200m silver medallist, Jerry Jakpa, and National 100m silver medallist, Grace Nwokocha.

The list also include Commonwealth Games finalist, Enoch Adegoke, African Championships medallist Orukpe Erayokan, African Championships finalist, Mike Edwards, African Games medallist Samson Nathaniel and fast-rising quartermiler Sikiru Adeyemi.

Founder/CEO of MoC, Bambo Akani said: “We are excited about the response from local and foreign athletes for the third MoC Grand Prix. The first edition in 2018 had 400 athletes and the second in 2019 had 500 athletes.

With two weeks of registration still left, we have already hit the numbers from the last edition, but these are different times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we will be publishing a final invite list that ensures we can strictly adhere to coronavirus safety protocol. Athletes vying to qualify for the Olympics, World U-20 and African Championships will be prioritised on the final list of invitees.”

Events to be competed for include sprints – 100m, 200m, 400m, hurdles – 100/110m, 400m, middle distances – 800m, 1500m, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin and hammer throw

According to the organisers, March 19 is registration deadline for the event. The final list of invited athletes will be published a week before the event by March 26.