MFM Youth Games: Headquarters Emerge Champions as Competition Ends

Posted : 18 September 2026

Team Headquarters emerged champions of the 2026 MFM Youth Games as the 10th edition of the grassroots sporting competition ended at the Mountain Top University Sports Complex, Ibafo, Ogun State.

Team Headquarters topped the final standings with six medals, comprising four gold and two silver, while Team Abeokuta Region finished second with 10 medals — three gold, five silver and two bronze.

Team FESTAC Region finished third with two silver medals, while Team Igando/Ipaja Region and Youth Ministry each secured one bronze medal.

The two-week competition, organised by the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), was held from September 3 to 17 and featured football, basketball, athletics, table tennis, scrabble and chess, among other events.

Beyond the medals and trophies, the competition provided a platform for young athletes to discover their talents, compete under organised conditions and receive guidance from coaches and other sports professionals.

According to Pastor Kunle Adesanya, a representative of the church, the Youth Games was part of the MFM Evangelism Ministry's efforts to engage young people through sports while providing opportunities for spiritual, moral and economic development.

“Through its Explosive Evangelism Initiative (EEI), the ministry has used football and other sports as tools for outreach to many youths.

“The belief is simple: engage youths through what they love and create space for the Gospel to be heard.

“MFM Youth Games is part of the ‘Youth Repositioning Agenda’, a 70-point holistic empowerment initiative of the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Worldwide, Dr Daniel Olukoya.

“It was designed to rescue young people from vices, tackle unemployment, and build spiritual, moral and economic capacity,” he said.

Adesanya said the Youth Repositioning Agenda was also designed to give talented Nigerian youths the opportunity to develop their skills to the highest level, draw them to Christ and help them fulfil their purpose.

For 12-year-old Ese Osogono, the competition provided an opportunity to discover a talent she had previously not considered pursuing.

Osogono, a JSS 3 student of Sound Knowledge High School, Alagbole, represented Akute/Alagbole/Oke Aro Mega Region Team 14 and won bronze in the girls' 200m.

“The game is an eye-opener for me. Before, I didn't believe in my ability, but my coach assured me that I could do it, and I eventually won bronze in the 200m category of athletics.

“I want to say a big thank you to the Daddy G.O. for helping us this far and putting up such a befitting competition.

“This is my first time participating in any competition in athletics, and I think I will go further to pursue a career in athletics, if my parents permit,” she said.

Basketball silver medallist Yinka Albert also described the standard of the competition as impressive, saying the quality of players on display showed the potential available among the young participants.

“The Youth Games is very much up to the standard expected of it, if not surpassing it. I have been playing basketball for quite a few years now, and I can attest to the quality of play here.

“We have good players who can play either in the amateur or professional league in this competition. Maybe we will need the attention of national team coaches to come and watch the games.

“What I have seen in this competition is a standard that can be compared to national trials, and the organisers deserve kudos for a job well done.”

Former Nigeria U-17 captain Uduka Ugbade, who led Nigeria to victory at the 1985 Kodak World Cup, also commended MFM for sustaining the initiative.

“This is the first time in recent years that I'm going to see such competitiveness, and for this to be so, because Dr Olukoya has been doing this for a long time.

“I was one of the sporting directors here for the competition in the past, to the extent that I handled the games and we won the trophy.

“The Games is not only football; it's all-encompassing sports in general, and maybe by next year I will suggest that the organisers should add one or two sports to it.

“There can be no evangelism through sports that can be as great as this because it is practical,” he said.

The competition featured keen contests across several disciplines, with Team Headquarters particularly dominant in football and men's basketball, while Youth Ministry won the women's basketball event.

In athletics, Team Abeokuta won both the girls' and boys' 4x100m relays, while Team Headquarters claimed gold in the mixed 4x100m relay.

Team Headquarters also recorded gold-medal performances in the girls' 100m through Aremu Taiwo, the boys' 100m through Samuel Odedegi and the boys' 200m through Olorunwa Funso.

Sowunmi Esther of Team Abeokuta won the girls' 200m, while other medals were shared among athletes from Teams FESTAC, Igando/Ipaja and Headquarters.

In table tennis, Youth Ministry won the mixed doubles and women's singles, while Team Headquarters dominated the men's singles.

MFM Headquarters won the chess event, ahead of MFM Mega Region Ayobo and MFM Lekki.

In scrabble, David Idris and Favour Ologbonsaye of Team Headquarters won the men's and women's categories, respectively.

The football competition ended with Team Headquarters taking the men's title, followed by Team Oshodi/Gbagada and Team Surulere/Ejigbo.

The competition ended with the presentation of trophies, medals and other prizes to outstanding teams and athletes.

MFM Youth Games: Headquarters Emerge Champions as Competition Ends

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