Schools battle for Milo secondary school basketball championship

The grand finale of the 16th edition of Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship will take place at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos between August 11 – 16, 2014.

Six male and six female teams, representing the country’s six geopolitical zones, will take part in the final round of this year’s Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship.

Speaking at the draws ahead of the start of the final round of this year’s championship, Dharnesh Gordhon, managing director and chief executive officer of Nestle Nigeria plc, said: “It is gratifying to know that what started as a modest event in 1999 has grown to be the single biggest basketball event in Nigeria with 7530 secondary schools from all 36 states and the FCT, Abuja participating.

“The annual Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship continues to blaze the trail in creating a platform for Nigerian youths to showcase their basketball skills and sporting talents. We are proud that the championship has remarkably improved the quality of the game and raised the profile of basketball in Nigeria.”

He added: “I would like to assure you that Nestle Milo remains committed to the development of basketball in Nigeria. We will continue to contribute our quota to improve the quality of the game.”

All the finalists have intensified their training to ensure the best is achieved. Teams for the finals emerged from keenly contested qualifiers held in four different zones across the country over a period of three months.

Also, the draws released for the fiesta, Ilupeju Senior Secondary school, Lagos will take on St. Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzangbo, Ebonyi State in the opening game of the Boys category billed for Tuesday, August 12, 2014, at 1.00pm; Jesus College, Oturkpo, Benue State tackles Osadennis High School Asaba at 2.00pm while in the Girls category, St Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Bayelsa State will tackle West End Mixed Secondary School, Delta State by 3.00pm and Yejide Girls Grammer School, Ibadan square up with C.A.C. Grammar School, Akure at exactly 4.00pm.

ANTHONY NLEBEM