BENIN – Emmamoke Ogoro, the General Manager, Brand and Communications, MTN Nigeria, has declared that the MTN Champs Season 3 held in Benin and Lagos has produced 40 Most Valuable Performers (MVPs) from 30 schools across 10 states and the MVPs have been invited to compete as Team MVPs at the Uyo Grand Finale. She revealed this in a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, Edo State capital. Ogoro pointed out that the grand finale of MTN Champs Season 3 which is set to electrify Uyo from May 6 to 9 at the Godswill Akapbio International Stadium, has a staggering 5,807 event entries from 2,187 athletes registered for the Uyo final. Ogoro added that the participants include 464 Cadets, 777 Youths, 426 Juniors, and 520 Seniors, adding that the Benin Athletics Classics attracted 2,056 entries, while the Lagos Continental Relays saw 2,505 entries. MTN Nigeria shared the vision behind MTN Champs, “The dream of having Nigeria on the world stage is a strong vision that we hold to accomplish, she said. “We stand for progress for Nigerians, and looking into grassroots development is at the forefront of supporting all our youngsters to pursue their dreams.” Since its launch in 2023, MTN Champs has drawn over 15,000 athletes from 900 schools nationwide. Ogoro expressed excitement about the progress so far, saying, “It gladdens my heart that at these events, we’re beginning to see people breaking their records and having records of about ten. “When you start having 10 in athletics, it means we’re already on the world stage. We’ve gone around places where we know very well that there are athletic talents. We’ve also discovered talents in very rural areas. “Here in Akwa Ibom state, there are three youngsters representing the state, and this is a huge accomplishment. “As we kick off season three, we hope to birth future champions from here. The goal is, in the next one year, they should start attending international competitions. “And from there in preparation for the Olympics, we should see Nigeria in the USA or in Mexico, representing Nigeria fully.” Deji Ogeyingbo, Country Manager, Making of Champions (MoC), explained why Akwa Ibom was chosen to host the grand finale, “The goal is to go across all of the states. “Every Nigerian child deserves this opportunity. Some states stand out, and Akwa Ibom stands out. We came here in season 1, and we knew it was imperative to come here again.” Callima Inino, Regional General Manager, Operations, East, MTN Nigeria, said, “There is nothing as comforting as seeing the names of Nigerians on the Olympic stand. “We have witnessed young and raw athletes, talents across the country. Through this initiative, every child from every community has the chance to be a champion.” Representing the Akwa Ibom state governor, Commissioner of Sports Elder Paul Bassey explained how MTN Champs aligns with the state’s sports development agenda, “We have a mandate to develop sports from the grassroots. Unfortunately for this country, we have lost, at the world stage, renowned athletes, especially in track and field. “In previous Olympics I attended, there was no way you would not have a Nigerian in the final in relays and sprints. This is why events like this are events that are after our heart. “For 15 broken years, I also anchored the mobile track and field schools athletics championship in the state. We are still ripping the dividends. I want to thank MTN and MoC for taking this a step further.”