Ex-Sprinter, Onyali, counsels athletes to balance sports with education

….as MTN Champs season 4 ends in Ibadan

Mary Onyali, former Nigerian sprint queen has counseled young athletes across Nigeria who aspire to reach elite levels to avoid prioritising sports at the expense of their education.

Onyali who stated this during the MTN Champs season 4 grand finale at the Lekan Salami Stadium Adamasigba, Ibadan to maintain a balance between sports and education.

This is as Onyali urged greater collaboration between government and the private sector in sports development, stressing that initiatives such as MTN Champs cannot succeed in isolation.

“With Nigeria’s youthful population, more investment is required to expand sports development programmes, competitions, and structured talent identification systems.

“We need more partnerships like this. Government and corporate organisations must do more to support youth sports development and ensure talents are not wasted,” she said.

While noting that academic excellence remains as important as sporting success for long-term development, said sports and education must go side by side.

“Sports and education must go hand in hand. Both are important and must be balanced. It is not enough to focus only on athletics or only on academics; success requires excellence in both areas.”

According to her, many successful athletes who secured scholarships abroad were able to do so not only because of their sporting abilities, but they met academic requirements, including minimum Grade Point Average standards required by foreign universities.

She pointed out that the MTN Champs initiative is a major platform for grassroots talent identification.

“The competition continues to provide opportunities for young athletes who may otherwise never have had the chance to compete at national level,” Onyali said.

Emamoke Ogoro, general manager, brand and communication, MTN Nigetia, said the telecommunications company is working closely with the National School Sports Federation (NSSF) and other relevant athletic bodies in Nigeria to strengthen the pathway from school-level competitions to national and international stages.

While saying that it is transition from school athletics to national exposure, he stated that “A major part of our strategy involves continuous sensitisation of schools and parents,” Ogoro said.

He added that many parents are now beginning to understand the value of structured sports development, especially within academic environments.

According to him, some schools have also fully embraced the programme and are actively participating.

“What we are building is a gradual and sustainable pipeline. We are not just focusing on competition alone, but on the broader benefits—opportunity, discipline, education, and life development.

The goal is to ensure that Nigerian children can pursue athletic dreams without compromising their education,” Ogoro said.

Babatunde Koiki, Manager of PR, Communications and Partnerships at Making of Champions (MoC), described MTN Champs Season 4 as the culmination of a four-year partnership aimed at discovering and developing Nigeria’s next generation of elite athletes.

“The initiative has continued to provide a platform for grassroots athletes to showcase their talent, adding that many of those discovered through the programme are now competing at national and international levels.

He explained that MoC, through its athletics club and academy in Lagos, supports selected athletes with scholarships, school placements, and elite coaching to prepare them for global competition.

“Many of the athletes we have discovered are now competing in the NCAA system in the United States and representing Nigeria at major championships,” he said.