MoC Grand Prix: Top Nigerian athletes set for action in Lagos

Top athletes across the length and breadth of Nigeria are set for action in the second edition of the Making of Champions (MoC) Grand Prix billed to take place on Saturday and Sunday (June 15-16) at the Sports Complex of the Yaba College of Technology (Yaba Tech).

While the likes of Divine Oduduru and others privileged to be outside of the country have been making the headlines in their respective bases; especially in the United States, athletes based in Nigeria have been starved of competition.

This understandably has led to the high influx of athletes to Lagos to be part of the Moc Grand Prix which is coming just before the National Trials billed to take place in Kaduna next month.

According to the organisers, over N700,000 will be won across the events following kind donations from ex-athletes and others in the Track and Field fraternity.

Some of the big names that will be in Lagos for the MoC Grand Prix include Commonwealth Games 4x100m bronze medallist, Rosemary Chukwuma.

She will be making her maiden appearance at the competition, same as reigning West African University Games (WAUG) 200m men’s champion, Alaba Akintola, whose presence is expected to raise the stakes in the men’s 100m and 200m.

National Sports Festival (NSF) Champions in the men’s 400m Hurdles and women’s High Jump events respectively, David Olowookere and Esther Isa, are also expected to participate in the event this weekend.

Former national champion in the men’s 400m, Samson Nathaniel, will be making a return to the competition, while Blessing Ogundiran, who claimed bronze in the women’s 100m at the 1st Grand Prix is also set for action.

In some of the interesting matchups, there would be keen interest in the women’s 400m event where 2018 National Sports Festival (NSF) women’s 400m champion, Imaobong Nse Uko, will be up against African championship’s double medallist, Yinka Ajayi.

Six months after going head-to-head at the NSF in Abuja where Uko emerged the surprise winner of the women’s 400m, a duel between the duo is in the offing as the youngster will once again face off with her older counterpart who will be opening her 2019 season in the 400m, at the Grand Prix.

In all, 28 Track and Field events will be competed in including the men and women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, Long Jump, Triple Jump, and High Jump.

Other events include the men and women’s Javelin throw, Hammer, Shot Put and Discus throws.