October 27, (THEWILL) – Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, will be hosting over 2,000 young athletes for the second leg of the MTN CHAMPS youth sports competition at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium. The two-day event kicked off on Thursday and concludes on Friday, with participants competing across three age brackets.
At a media briefing to unveil the programme, Vice President of the Nigeria School Sports Federation, Mr Emmanuel Ebong, said Akwa Ibom was eager to showcase the wealth of talent in the state. He praised the event organisers, Making of Champions, for identifying Akwa Ibom as an ideal location, given the state’s reputation for hosting major championships and abundance of promising young athletes from “the nooks and crannies of the nation.”
MTN General Manager, Thankgod Otorkpa, explained the company’s interest in keeping youth constructively engaged in sports to curb delinquency. He likened the competition’s model of discovering talent at a young age to Jamaica’s successful athletic programmes.
Otorkpa emphasised MTN’s commitment to securing the futures of Nigerian youth by nurturing them from local to global stages of competition. The CHAMPS tournament aligns with MTN’s active sponsorship of Nigerian sports aimed at developing grassroots talent.
Akwa Ibom political and sports leaders have welcomed the opportunity to host the event as a platform for showcasing the state’s promising youth.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
