Committed to its mission of sharing happiness to Nigerians, top malt brand, Maltina birthed the initiative Maltina School Games in partnership with the Nigerian School Sports Federation in 2020.
This timely initiative was a two-pronged solution plan geared towards reviving the dying spirit of school sportsmanship in Nigeria and supporting the all-round development of young people through physical activity and sports.
Since its inception in 2020, the project has impacted over 20 million students by bringing together student-athletes from across the country to compete in a series of track and field events for a chance to win cash prizes as well as educational digital devices.
In 2020, 1000 secondary schools across Kano, Anambra, Lagos and Abuja participated in the games. The winning athletes were chosen across four sub-categories; the Junior and Senior Girls category and the Junior and Senior Boys category. The winners went home with cash prizes of 500,000 Naira each, while the top three participants across all the games received a gold, silver, and bronze medal, respectively.
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All the gold medalists across the states each received an HP laptop in addition to their medals. Also, grand prizes of five million naira and one million Naira were presented to the overall best school and overall best athlete who were Ijaiye Housing Estate, Secondary School, Lagos, and Ojo Joy, from Ijaiye Housing Estate Secondary School, respectively.
The Maltina School Games has received commendations from key stakeholders such as the Minister for Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Akin Dare, as a timely intervention that ensures the physical health and wellness of young secondary school students during the most important time of their lives.
He applauded the efforts of Maltina in reviving school sports in the nation and positioning the young athletes for a more successful future.
Extending beyond health and sports, Maltina marches forward with its mission of sharing happiness to Nigerians through the cash prizes given to the winners. This eases the burden of paying tuition fees on the parents of the wards.
The 2021 edition was most recently concluded, with more student-athletes empowered by the initiative. A step up from last year, over 1,400 secondary schools participated. The schools cut across four states in Nigeria: Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Bauchi.
The athletes were divided into four categories according to their ages and classes; Junior Boys, Junior Girls, Senior Boys and Senior Girls.
These young athletes slugged it out in races; 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m and 800m, as well as in Javelin, High Jump, Long Jump and shot-put with a total of 44 athletes from each state qualified to compete in the state finals.
The competition produced a winner in each category and with a total of 4 winners (Junior Boy and Girls as well as Senior Girls and Boys) categories who were rewarded with whopping cash prizes of N500 000, educational tablets and other fabulous branded items.
Some of the winners that were awarded across several states include Williams Ibinabo, who clinched 2 Gold medals after emerging overall best in junior category boys in Port-Harcourt, Princess Gershom won 3 Gold medals as overall best in junior category girls, Grace Oshiokpu took home 3 Gold medals for overall best in senior category girls while Caleb Joshua bagged 2 Gold medals as overall best in senior category boys.
In Abuja, John Benedict and Rufai Yakubu both bagged 3 Gold medals as overall best in senior category boys and overall best in junior category boys, respectively.
Miracle Oguama and Blessing Luka also made their schools proud by emerging overall best in junior and senior category girls, respectively. Demilade Ajayi emerged overall best MSG2021 medalist, while the overall best schools include Divine International Academy, Government Day Secondary School Sa’adu Zungur and Government Junior Secondary School Adamu Jumba.
To mark the end of the Maltina School Games 2021, the gold medalists were treated to a special breakfast on Thursday, June 17 2021, by the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Akin Dare.
The celebratory breakfast was held at Abora and Mazonia Suite, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. During the ceremony, the Senior Brand Manager for Maltina, Elohor Olumide-Awe, shared this joy at the successful completion of another edition of the project. According to her;
“For the past few years, the Maltina School Games has enriched and revived the dying national sport culture of our nation. The reception each edition has received is testament to the need that exists in Nigeria’s sports ecosystem and we are truly honoured to be at the forefront, ensuring this need is met.”
The minister echoed his thoughts and applauded the brand for its immense contribution to school sports development in the country.
“Indeed, the Maltina School Games has achieved what has been the need of the hour and that is to keep the spirit of sportsmanship alive in Nigeria. They have not only achieved this but have exceeded our expectations. Today, School Sports is back because of the Maltina School Games,” he said.
Through several innovative initiatives such as the Maltina School Games, Maltina has consistently delivered on its promise of happiness to Nigeria’s young people by rewarding excellence in sportsmanship, academics and creativity.
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