Uyo: Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has emphasized that the development of grassroots sports is a central element in the Arise Agenda of his administration. Eno made this statement during a news conference to launch the MTN Champs Season 3 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the governor, represented by the Commissioner for Sports, Paul Bassey, lauded the vision of MTN Champs in discovering young talents at the grassroots level. He announced that the state government plans to establish a sports academy aimed at identifying and nurturing talents to represent the state and country in the Olympics.
Gov. Eno mentioned the importance of combining sports with education, noting that while sports careers may be short-lived, education provides long-term support. He encouraged athletes to compete with integrity and strive to become future champions. He also praised MTN for organizing the championship and urged other multinational organizations to follow MTN’s example, as government funding alone is insufficient for sports development.
Earlier, Emmamoke Ogoro, General Manager, Brand and Communications at MTN Nigeria, stated that MTN Champs Season 3 aims to produce talents who will represent Nigeria in future Olympics. She highlighted that supporting grassroots sports development is part of MTN’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Since its inception in 2023, the MTN Champs has seen participation from over 15,000 athletes across 900 schools.
Ogoro called on Akwa Ibom residents to support the young athletes during the three-day competition. She expressed hopes that these athletes would soon participate in international competitions and represent Nigeria on the world stage.
Callimo Inino, Regional General Manager, Operations, East, MTN Nigeria, noted the exciting prospects of MTN Champs Season 3. The event began in Benin City with over 2,000 athletes and continued in Lagos with entries from over 6,000 athletes representing 155 secondary schools, the highest number of schools registered in MTN Champs history.