MTN attributes ages manipulation to dwindling performance of athletes in sporting events

The Mobile Telephone Networks, has attributed manipulation of ages by the athletes as a major factor militating against sports development in the Country.

He described the development as uphill faced by the organizer of the annual MTN CHAMPS in the Country.

The Operations and Head of Resources Manager of the multinational Telecoms service in Nigeria, Moshood Hassan made this known at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, the venue of the annual spotting event.

Hassan said the event was designed to celebrate the development of athletics in Nigeria, as well serves as a platform for young Nigerian talents in track and field to grow, develop, and progress through the ranks, with the ultimate goal of producing future Olympians.

The MTN CHAMPS is a premier Nigerian grassroots athletics talent search program launched in 2023 to discover, train, and support young athletes to become global champions,

He added that since the commencement of the programme, age manipulation has been its major challenges and the organizers are determined to fine permanent solution to it.

“This competition is designed to celebrate the development of athletics in Nigeria. More importantly, it serves as a platform for young Nigerian talents in track and field to grow, develop, and progress through the ranks, with the ultimate goal of producing future Olympians.

“The competition started in 2023, which was our First Season, and now we are in Season Four in 2026. Over the past four years, we’ve taken this event across different parts of the country, giving school children and athletes a platform to showcase their abilities while also supporting their development.

“This work is very fulfilling. It’s not just about earning a living—it’s about contributing to your country. When you work with young athletes and watch them grow over the years, seeing some of them progress to represent Nigeria at higher levels, it gives a deep sense of satisfaction. It shows that we are doing something meaningful and helping shape the future of Nigerian sports.

“However, our first major challenge is infrastructure. There are not many sporting facilities in Nigeria that can host a competition of this scale. Each year, we travel across the country to identify suitable venues in different regions. So, athletes can access the competition more easily.

“For example, our first competition was held in Calabar in Cross River State; then we moved to Jos in Plateau State; and now we are hosting the Grand Finals in Ibadan, Oyo State. The idea is to create regional access: Athletes from the South-South and South-East can compete in Calabar; athletes from the North can compete in Jos; while athletes from the South-West can compete in Ibadan.

“However, due to limited infrastructure, we sometimes have to reuse venues. This is our third time hosting in Ibadan in four years—not just because we like it, but because there are few alternatives. Another major challenge is age falsification. The competition is divided into four categories. Cadet (Under 14); Youth (Under 17); Junior (Under 20); and Senior (20 and above)

“Unfortunately, age manipulation remains a serious issue in sports development. You may find athletes who are older attempting to compete in younger categories to gain an advantage,” he lamented.

Hassan stressed that the organizers are working seriously to address it.

“We are actively working to address this by building a database that tracks athlete registrations over time. This allows us to monitor consistency and identify discrepancies as athletes progress through the system. While this solution is not yet perfect, we continue to improve it each year,” he added.

In a sideline interview, a 19-year old athletes, Oseiwe Salami said, “I started competing in this event in 2024, a year after it began in 2023.

“My experience so far has been great. Nothing too intense—just a lot of learning and growth. It’s been fun all the way. I’ve been competing regularly and focusing on improving my talents, and I’m happy to say the progress has been coming.”

Another 18-year old athlete from Enugu State, Lucy Chiamaka Nwankwo said the competition has been so fulfilling, adding that she has learnt a lot since she has been with MTN CHAMPS.

A 19-year old Ezekiel Enoasuku from Akwa-Ibom State, said, “My experiences have been fantastic. I won international medal for Nigeria, also in Saudi Arabia last year December and Silver Medal in Ghana. I won a lot of medals for Nigeria. I want to be among the top Nigerians, and I want to break National records and win Olympic Medal for my country.”