MTN to Flag-off Athletic Talent Hunt in Edo State
Telecommunications giant, MTN has disclosed the flag off athletic talent hunt in Edo State with focus on discovery and developing potential athletes.
The talent hunt under the aegis of MTN CHAMPS is a programme by the company aimed to unearth and foster athletes after the Jamaican High School Championships, used as a primary platform for identifying and nurturing promising athletes.
Speaking on the forthcoming event during a courtesy visit to Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo at Government House, Benin City on Friday, MTN General Manager in charge of Segment and Devices, Mr Idowu Adesokan, said that the track and field competition is set to discover outstanding athletes from schools in Edo, a state noted for sporting activities and other parts of the country.
Adesokan pleaded with Governor Okpebholo for partnership, stressing that this would also serve as a launchpad for the next legends of athletics superstars who will go ahead to dominate the global scene.
Adesokan said, “We want to use your stadium and its facilities during the period. We need your partnership to support us with that. From our side, we are going to get the students, we already have contacts, they are registering, and we are going to have bill boards around for advertisements to create more awareness for everybody to know of it.
“The programme for Edo State is between March 13 and 15. We are going to have a press conference on March 12, 2025, we will love that Edo State send delegations so that we can sit together for the joint press conference. And, we don’t mind the Excellency to be personally present at the launch of the programme. This is the first state we are starting in Nigeria so that you can help us launch the programme when it starts on the 13th because all the young school students seeing their governor you know they are encouraged with that.
“We are bringing them to Benin. Those not in Benin City to lodge them and accommodate them and we might not be able to get the logistics very much as with the support of the State Government. If you can support us also maybe there are sports facilities that have accommodation like hostels that you can support us with.
“Through this programme, talented individuals from all corners of the country will have the opportunity to showcase their skills and receive the training and support they need to reach their full potential as world-class athletes.”
MTN General Manager in charge of Segment and Devices, said, “When we started Champs in 2023, Edo State, Benin was one of the places we started with then and it was very successful, and that is why we repeated it in 2024. In 2024 we didn’t come to Edo State we went to other states. Now we are back in Edo state.
“You will say why in Edo state? We noticed that Edo State is a state that is focussed on athletics. It shared our common goal that we have, and the more reasons why when we see that they do the National Sports Festival, Edo State is one of the states that always top the national table that shows the kind of investment over the years, and that is why we say that to show that Edo State is a big state of sports, we done this across multiple states, about seven states, we covered 900 secondary schools because it is grassroots, and we have been able to host over 15,000 students from which we are able to get 20 most valuable players, 20 people who are good talents that we have put in academy, that we say these ones will represent us in Olympics in the future and all that. It is the same way you have an academy abroad.
“It will interest you to note that three of these 20 athletes in Nigeria are from Edo State. If you look at that percentage based on the 36 states in the country you will see that Edo is actually top, and we really appreciate it. And, that is why I said earlier that we come home because we benefitted from the talents in Edo state with this Champs programme.
“Champs like I said is a thorough grassroots programme not to say we will just stay in Benin. All secondary schools, the ones in the villages and all that we all come and we see the best. We have seen them, people from the hintherlands bring your talents, and we will take them to the academy based on merit for what they have done and hold the talent like what they always do in other climes in order for sports to be developed.”
In his response, Governor Monday Okpebholo, expressed his delight to receive the MTN team, promising the state governments support.
Okpebholo also promised to talk to the Chairman of the state Sports Commission and Commissioner for Education to liaise with them and also the commissioner for education, describing sports as a means of development which the state would not relent to be part of.
