MTN CHAMPS unveils 20 athletes
Team Nigeria’s poor outing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the country returned without a medal, will not repeat itself at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, Founder of Making of Champions (MoC), Bambo Akani, has assured Nigerians.
Akani declared at the unveiling of 20 athletes from the MTN CHAMPS into the MoC Academy in Lagos on Wednesday that Team Nigeria would win 10 medals at the 2028 Olympics.
His optimism is hinged on the stride his outfit has made recently. “With the progress made by some of the athletes who graduated from the MoC Academy, I can say that Nigeria will return from Los Angeles 2028 Olympics with not less than 10 medals. One of our athletes, Favour Ashe, is currently the country’s fastest sprinter (9.99sec) and another, Emmanuel Ojeli, is doing well in the 400m.
“With these additional 20 MVPs into the MoC Academy, we are hoping that the future will be brighter for Nigeria athletics,” Akani stated.
At the unveiling ceremony held at MTN corporate headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos, MTN’s Chief Executive Officer, Karl Toriola, stated that his organisation is helping to shape the future of Nigerian youths, as well as, the future of track and field in Nigeria.
According to Toriola, the unveiling of 20 athletes from the MTN CHAMPS Season 1 and 11 into the MoC Academy is a celebration of their investment in the future of Nigeria.
“It gives us a great sense of pride because it marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of MTN CHAMPS, a chapter that promises to be thrilling and inspiring and hopefully we will end up with some gold medals by the next Olympics.
“When we launched MTN CHAMPS, we did so with a vision to discover and develop raw talents to give young athletes across Nigeria a platform to showcase their abilities to inspire a generation of athletes. More importantly, we wanted to contribute towards the development of future Olympians. 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 recognised and honed, where dreams are nurtured and passion translates into performance and shaping the future of Nigeria’s Athletics.’
We are here to honour 20 MVPs, athletes who have embodied the spirit of determination, sportsmanship and excellence that MTN CHAMPS stands for,” Toriola stated.
MTN General Manager, Brand and Communication, Emamoke Ogoro, shared Toriola’s sentiments: “The reason we started the MTN CHAMPS was for 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 Akani 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.”
The 20 athletes are drawn from Seasons 1 and 2 of MTN CHAMPS and will join the MoC Athletics Academy in Lagos, sponsored by MTN.
The athletes comprises five female sprinters, three female quartermilers, seven male sprinters and five male quartermilers. They are expected to be in the academy for an initial period of one year, after which their stay in the academy will be reviewed based on their performance during the initial period.
The female athletes are Azeezat Muhammed-Raji, Lucy Nwankwo, Mercy Ogbonna, Toheebat Jimoh and Jane Onyeneho (sprinters), Chizoba Onyemauwa, Miracle Uwem and Patience Joseph (quartermilers).
The male athletes in the group are Fervent Edet, Alvin Onyeama, David Nda-Isaiah, Kehinde Ojo, Khalil Saleh, Emmanuel Oyewale and Showers Ushie (sprinters), as well as Benjamin Magaji, Ezekiel Eno, Emmanuel Obi, Prosper Ushie and Stephen Adejumo (quartermilers).
