Uyo, Akwa Ibom State — Team Bayelsa delivered an outstanding performance at the Grand Finale of the MOC/MTN Champs Season 3, wrapping up the four-day athletics fiesta in Uyo with an impressive haul of 11 medals: 5 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze.
Leading the charge for Bayelsa was Shalom George, who clinched gold in the senior men’s 200 metres with a time of 21.77 seconds, while Augustine Ezuruike grabbed a silver medal in the senior men’s 100 metres earlier in the competition. In the hurdles, Christian Dickson soared to gold in the 110 metres hurdles (senior men), underlining Team Bayelsa’s strength in sprints and technical events.
Rising Star: 13-Year-Old Ebimoboere Christopher Steals the Show
The undisputed highlight of the event was 13-year-old sensation Ebimoboere Christopher of SAMKAY Athletics Academy, a student of St. Agnes Catholic Secondary School, Yenagoa. She blazed to double gold in the 100m and 200m cadet U14 category, clocking a personal best of 12.61 seconds in the 100m and a new PB of 26.52 seconds in the 200m — successfully defending her title from the Benin preliminaries in March.
More Podium Glory for Bayelsa
- Goodluck Kabowei (SAMKAY Athletics Academy) earned bronze in the 400m hurdles (U20 Junior)
- Goodluck Johnbull picked up bronze in the 200m (U20 Junior)
- The 4×100m senior men’s relay team — David Michael, Bright Benson, Shalom George, and Ebikiemo Ikadoi — secured bronze
- Samson Tebowei (SAMKAY) took gold in the 1500m (U20 Junior) with a personal best of 4:25.49, and added a silver in the 800m
- Paebi Gabriel leapt 5.00 metres to win bronze in the long jump (U20 Junior Girls)
While some athletes didn’t make the podium, several recorded new Personal Bests, highlighting significant progress and development across the board.
Building Future Champions
The MOC/MTN Champs continues to grow as Nigeria’s premier youth athletics platform, and Bayelsa’s performance in Uyo is a testament to the state’s rising investment in grassroots sports and talent development. With stars like Ebimoboere Christopher and Samson Tebowei emerging from academies such as SAMKAY, the future of Nigerian athletics looks bright.
