For the first time in the history of African athletics, the mixed relays, a new Olympics-approved relay format, was displayed at a sports competition. This historic moment happened on Day 3 of the MTN Champs Season 3 Continental Relays on April 11, 2025 at the Yabatech Sports Complex.
The Director General of National Sports Competition (NSC), Honorable Bukola Olopade, commented on the significance of the moment. “We are all in the midst of history. It will be written in books that the very first mixed 100m relay was held in Nigeria, it was right here at the MTN Champs competition.”
The new relay format specifies baton exchanges across both male and female gender athletes, beginning with a female runner handing over to another female, who then passes to a male athlete, and finally to another male who finishes the race.
The MTN Champs mixed relays included both 100m and 400m distances. Seven teams participated in the event: Team Continental, Team Benin, OAU Spartans from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Zabranto Athletics, D’Victors A and D’Victors B. In the 4 x 100m mixed relay, Team Continental took first place at 42.91s, followed by Zabranto Athletics at 44.69s in second and D’Victors A at 44.88s in third.
Record holders from the race include Favor “The Nigerian Nightmare” Ashe, who anchored the final leg and pulled ahead with an at least 30-meter lead to finish. Other key runners included Iyanuoluwa Bada on the first leg, Janet Adesiyan on the second leg, and Chidera Ezeakor on the third leg.
Ashe reflected on the experience, saying: “I’m excited that this was the first time doing this in Nigeria.” On Nigeria’s potential in the upcoming mixed 4 x 100 relays, he added: “We have a team in the world relays happening next month. With what I saw today, with our best guys out there, I think we can expect Team Nigeria to bring home a medal.”
Olopade also spoke on the broader direction of sports in Nigeria. “The president has directed us to create a sports ecosystem that is economy based, that can create wealth for athletes. When we [the new NSC administration] took over, the first thing we did was to create the athlete grant. It requires work to be on the grant.” He encouraged the record holders to register for this grant.
He also announced a new initiative called The Relay Project. “It’s a four-year project which we believe can push Nigeria to the very top of podium standing, either at the Commonwealth Games, All-Africa Games and even the 2028 Olympics.” The Managing Director and CEO of this project is Bambo Akani, who is also the CEO of Making of Champions (MoC), the technical partner for MTN Champs.
MTN Champs is Nigeria’s largest athletics competition, designed to discover and develop local talents and build future Olympians for the country. Ayham Moussa, Chief Operating Officer of MTN Nigeria, emphasized the company’s commitment to sports development. “At MTN, we are heavily invested in football and athletics because we believe in the power of sports as a catalyst for development.”
The Lagos continental relays will conclude on April 12 at the Yabatech Sports Complex, with medals awarded to top-performing athletes. MTN Champs Season 3 will continue in Uyo from April 30 to May 3 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, where the grand finale will take place.