Benin Set for MTN CHAMPS with nearly 1000 Athletes from 80 Schools/Teams

Benin City is buzzing with excitement as nearly 1000 athletes from 80 schools and teams is gearing for the inaugural MTN CHAMPS, set to commence on Thursday, October 12th, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, platinumnewsng.com is reporting.

During a press conference held at the stadium on Wednesday to kickstart the three-day competition, Yussuf Alli, the Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, expressed Benin’s readiness to host the first leg of MTN CHAMPS.

Key figures present at the event included Oluseye Odunsi, MTN’s Senior Manager for Sales and Trade Distribution in the West region; Njide Ken-Odogwu, Manager of Sponsorships at MTN; Nigerian Long Jump record holder, Yussuf Alli; Taldang Tanimu, Assistant Secretary of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN); Deji Ogeyingbo, Country Manager of Making of Champions and Nationwide Meet Director of MTN CHAMPS; and Olympic medallist Deji Aliu.

In his welcoming speech, Yussuf Alli extended his gratitude to MTN for their support and emphasized the importance of partnering with initiatives related to schools.

“On behalf of the Edo State government, I must thank you all for coming to Benin, and I welcome you to our stadium, one of the finest in the country, and with one of the fastest tracks too. When I heard about this initiative, I was happy, because this is what we’ve been looking for, to partner with anything that has to do with schools.”

He also called for a comprehensive database of participants to prevent age cheating, highlighting his anticipation for the MTN Academy’s involvement in athletics.

“Having 7000 athletes participate in this programme nationwide in huge, and I will appeal that a database is kept of all participants in order to curb age-cheating. I’m looking forward to the MTN Academy. MTN have one of the best networks in this country so I’m sure the academy will be one of the best. I don’t want MTN to leave Athletics and focus on football. We have a lot of football academies in Nigeria, so please, stick with Athletics – to run, jump and throw.” Yusuff Alli added.

Oluseye Odunsi, in his opening remarks, explained MTN’s motivation behind sponsoring this championship in four cities, including Benin, Uyo, Ibadan, and Abuja. MTN CHAMPS seeks to foster brand loyalty, promote educational development, and encourage sportsmanship among the youth.

“The outcome of this competition is to bring out future champions who will participate in the Olympics, World Championships and other events across the world. The top 10 athletes from this programme will join the MTN Academy where they will be trained and educated, and also be presented with the opportunity of scholarships both from Jamaica and the US. It’s a privilege partnering with you on this programme.” He said.

Deji Aliu, the Head Coach of Making of Champions and Nationwide Meet Director for MTN CHAMPS, expressed his appreciation for MTN’s support in providing a platform for emerging talent. He outlined the introduction of three different age categories to curb age cheating, providing young athletes with more opportunities to compete.