By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
The Nigerian Senior National Championships served as a key event for Team MTN, allowing their young athletes to compete against seasoned senior and foreign-based Nigerian athletes.
Nine athletes from Team MTN participated, with six still in the U20 category.
The event was important for selecting athletes for the Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Ezekiel Asuquo won silver in the men’s 400m with a time of 46.29 seconds, earning him and teammate Benjamin Magaji a call-up to Nigeria’s Senior Team B.
Asuquo’s achievement marked Team MTN’s first-ever medal at the Senior Nationals.
Other notable performances included: Toheebat Jimoh and Miracle Donald reaching the women’s 400m final, Lucy Nwankwo and Azeezat Muhammed-Raji advancing to the semi-finals in the women’s 100m, and Stephen Adejumo and Prosper Ushie reaching the semi-finals in the men’s 400m.
The MTN CHAMPS program has been instrumental in developing young athletes, providing them with structured competition, coaching, and exposure. The program has shown remarkable success, with athletes moving from grassroots competitions to national prominence in under a year.
Team MTN’s performance at the championships showed the program’s effectiveness, with athletes earning international call-ups and winning medals.
By the end of the competition, Team MTN had achieved:
– 1 national silver medalist (Ezekiel Asuquo).
– 2 senior team debutants (Ezekiel Asuquo and Benjamin Magaji).
– 3 national finalists
– 4 national semi-finalists
The team’s performance shows the potential for further success in the 2025 World Athletics Championships qualification year.
