The 2024 National Sports Festival in Ogun State has spotlighted a new generation of athletic talent, with ten athletes from the Making of Champions (MoC) Academy, scouted through the MTN CHAMPS athletics competition, emerging as medalists in key track events.
These athletes represented Lagos, Ogun, and Akwa Ibom States at this year’s festival, competing across sprint, middle-distance, and relay events. For many of them, this is their first National Sports Festival appearance.
In the Mixed 4x400m relay final, Lagos State secured the bronze medal with a time of 3:24.36. The team featured Benjamin Magaji, Jane Onyeneho, Miracle Uwem Donald, and Eniola Shiro, all athletes who were discovered through MTN CHAMPS and have trained at the MoC Academy for just over a year.
Magaji, Onyeneho, and Donald were identified through performances in various editions of MTN CHAMPS, while Shiro was named MVP in the championship’s inaugural season. Since their selection, they have trained under the academy’s structured program and are now competing confidently at national level.
<em>Toheebat Jimoh shaking hands with Governor Dapo Abiodun</em>
Team Ogun, backed by home support, won gold in the same event with a time of 3:20.65. Toheebat Jimoh, another MTN CHAMPS MVP, anchored the team to victory alongside teammates Gafari Badmus, Tosin Adeleye, and Nathaniel Samson. Jimoh’s progression from school-level competition to winning a national title has taken place in just over a year.
The National Sports Festival, a biennial multi-sport event, brings together athletes from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, celebrating Nigeria’s rich athletic potential and encourages investment in sports infrastructure and athlete development.
MTN CHAMPS, launched in 2023, is Nigeria’s largest grassroots athletics championship.
The competition was created to identify and nurture young athletes in track and field events.
The participation and success of these athletes signal the growing impact of MTN CHAMPS as a talent development pipeline.
Their rapid rise from grassroot competitions to the national stage underscores the effectiveness of structured grassroots investment in Nigerian athletics.
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