MTN Champs has recorded another major milestone in its mission to discover and develop Nigeria’s next generation of athletics talent, following Team MTN athlete Lucy Nwankwo’s impressive double-gold performance at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) U18/U20 Region II Championships in Dakar, Senegal. Representing Nigeria at the continental championships, the young sprinter claimed gold in both the women’s U20 100m and 200m events, while setting new personal bests in each race.
Nwankwo opened the championships with victory in the women’s U20 100m, clocking a personal best of 11.40 seconds to secure her first gold medal. She returned on the final day to complete a memorable sprint double, winning the U20 200m in another personal best of 23.46 seconds (unofficial), contributing two gold medals to Team Nigeria’s medal haul.
MTN Nigeria’s flagship school athletics competition is designed to identify, develop and support promising young athletes across the country. Since its launch, the platform has provided thousands of young Nigerians with access to high-level competition, coaching opportunities and a pathway to national and international athletics.
Her success in Dakar represents another significant milestone for MTN Champs, demonstrating how sustained investment in grassroots sports development can translate into success on bigger stages. It also reinforces the programme’s objective of creating opportunities for talented young athletes to compete, grow and represent Nigeria at major continental and global competitions.
Lucy Nwankwo’s achievement adds to the growing list of success stories emerging from MTN Champs and reflects the long-term impact of investing in youth talent development. As more athletes progress through the platform into Team MTN and onto international competition, MTN Nigeria continues to strengthen the pipeline of future champions while contributing to the growth of athletics in the country.
