Making of Champions Unveils 10 New Talents, Expands Olympic Pipeline

Making of Champions (MoC) has unveiled 10 new athletes into the MoC Athletics Academy, bringing the total roster to a record 30 athletes.

The announcement was made at MTN Plaza in Ikoyi, Lagos, immediately following MTN’s landmark three-year extension of MTN CHAMPS through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

This expansion marks the largest intake since the Academy’s founding in 2016 and represents a significant strengthening of Nigeria’s Olympic development pipeline. MTN has confirmed sponsorship of 20 athletes within the Academy for the next three years, ensuring a structured pathway toward LA 2028.

Beacon Power Services (BPS) has also reaffirmed its support, sponsoring two athletes viz Rebecca Enilolobo and Destiny Reuben through to 2028.

The newly inducted athletes include standout performers from MTN CHAMPS Season 3, such as Victory Aganya (Delta State), Emmanuel Akolo (Kogi State), Michael Aniche (Abia State), and Nneoma Okonkwo (Enugu State), among others.

Their achievements span national medals, international relay honors, and breakthrough performances across sprints and middle-distance events.

In 2025 alone, MoC Academy athletes secured 10 international medals, 14 national medals, and 38 MTN CHAMPS podium finishes, alongside two Junior (U20) team trophies. These results underscore the rapid impact of MoC’s structured high-performance development model.

MoC Founder and CEO, Bambo Akani, described the induction as a defining moment:

‘This marks a powerful evolution for MTN CHAMPS and for the MoC Academy. The first three seasons were about discovering talent across Nigeria. The next phase is about deliberate development toward the Olympic Games.

‘MTN’s historic commitment provides athletes across all age groups with a multi-year runway to prepare for national, continental, and global competitions. This is a rally call for Corporate Nigeria to join us in building Olympic relay contenders, individual finalists, and medalists for LA 2028, Brisbane 2032, and beyond.’

Since its launch in 2023, MTN CHAMPS has attracted over 22,000 athletes from 1,300 schools across eight Nigerian cities, making it the most comprehensive secondary school athletics talent search platform in the country.

With 30 athletes now training under one unified system, Nigeria’s sprint and quarter-mile ecosystem has entered a new era of scale, structure, and ambition.

As MTN CHAMPS Season 4 approaches, the newly inducted athletes will join Team MTN, Team BPS, and Team MoC in competitions across Calabar, Jos, and Ibadan, with eyes firmly set on the 2026 World Relays, African Championships, Commonwealth Games, World U20 Championships, Youth Olympics, and ultimately the LA 2028 Olympic Games.