MoC Grand Prix now to hold March 31 as 700 athletes register

The Third Making of Champions (MoCs) Grand Prix initially scheduled for April 2 and April 3, at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, will now take place on March 31.

The event will take place at same venue.

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MoC, Mr Bambo Akani, gave the new date in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos.

Akani said that the event was moved back because it was  clashing with the National Sports Festival rescheduled to hold from  April 2 to April 14.

“The Third MoC Grand Prix will now be a one-day event which will serve as a final major tune-up event for Nigeria’s top athletes preparing for the National Sports Festival.

“More details will be released in the coming days with regards to athletes’ invitation and other aspects of the grand prix,” he said.

He said that more than  700 athletes had registered for the event, adding that MoCs Grand Prix had become the largest annual athletics competition in Nigeria apart from  national trials.

The chief executive officer expressed delight at  the number of registered athletes for the event, saying that it showed hunger for sports  competitions across the African  continent.

Akani  said that the event would give opportunities for Nigeria to position itself as the premier destination for athletics in Africa.

He called on corporate organisations across the nation to support efforts at sports development.

“Indeed, this number eclipses the 500 registered at the second edition and the 400 at the firstst edition.

“The event has also taken an international dimension, as athletes from across Africa, particularly Kenya, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Togo, Benin Republic, Mali, Senegal, Congo and Gambia signaled intentions to participate,” he said.

Akani said that due to the COVID-19 prevention guidelines, the event would not be open to fans, adding that plans would  be announced soon for television broadcast and internet streaming of the event.

He urged athletes from other countries coming for the event to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols for entering Nigeria.

“The registration deadline remains Friday March 19th.

“No further entries will be permitted after this final deadline,” he said.