Nigeria, March 14 -- The MTN CHAMPS Benin Athletics Classics on Thursday got off to an electrifying start as over 2,000 athletes competed across two venues-the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and the UNIBEN Sports Complex.

On the opening day of the competition, athletes delivered remarkable performances, setting new season and personal bests as they signaled their readiness for the 2025 athletics season.

Team MTN's Benjamin Magaji stole the spotlight in the senior men's 400m heats, clocking a personal best of 48.23 seconds to secure the fastest overall time ahead of the semi-finals and final.

Magaji, who was discovered at MTN CHAMPS Jos in Season 2, displayed excellent race tactics to maintain his lead and finish first in his heat. Emmanuel B...