How Lagos, Delta won Nestle Milo B’ball championship

Boy's winners, Delta State team, with their trophy

The 18th edition of the Nestle Milo Basketball Championship for Secondary Schools was rounded off at indoor sports hall of Asaba Stadium with two thrilling finals.
The curtain raiser was the girls’ match between St. Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School Amarata, Bayelsa State and Wesley Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Yaba, Lagos.
Wesley Girls gave the Asaba crowd something to cheer as they dethroned the defending champions, 30-29 in a well contested game.
In the boys’ final, Government Secondary School Karu, FCT Abuja, almost recorded an upset against Osadenis Mixed Secondary School, Asaba.
Thanks to the shooting prowess of the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Marvelous Mba, who lifted his team’s spirit with his several three pointers to make it 57-49 points for Osadenis Mixed.
Crowther Memorial College, Lokoja, Kogi State shot past Henson Demonstration School Benin, Edo State 40-37 to win the third-place match in the boys’ category.
Government Secondary School, Gboko, Benue State defeated Yejide Girls’ Grammar School, Ibadan 30-28 to pick the bronze in the girls’ category.
Femi Akintola, Nestle Category Manager (Beverages), confirmed that no fewer than 9,000 schools participated in this year championship in both male and female categories.
He noted that this was the first time the championship was held outside Lagos, and the brand has through the championship supported over one million school children countrywide.
“We believe children who are physically active in exercise and sports are less likely to be obese,” Akintola stressed.
“For nearly 20 years Milo has been at the forefront of basketball development in Nigeria and a large percentage of our basketball national team, both in male and female categories, passed through Milo Championship.
“And engaging in sports provides good opportunities for interacting with others and thereby learning important life skills such as determination, confidence, discipline and teamwork.”
He thanked Delta State government for its partnership and support to grow the grassroots sports in the country.
State Basic and Secondary Education Commissioner, Chiedu Ebie, lauded Nestle for choosing Delta, adding that the government is looking forward to discovering new talents.
“For the past 18 years the Nestle Milo Basketball Championship has committed itself to discovering and developing players from the grassroots.
“The youths are kept busy with the championship all the year round. Which has helped to reduce some social vices,’’ he said.
Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) President, Mohammed Ibrahim, thanked Nestlé for the championship and expressed hope that with this, the country would in the near future become basketball champion of the world.
He challenge the government and corporate bodies support grassroots sports by building facilities in schools and partnering with agencies and stakeholders in building young talents.
Ibrahim reiterated that Milo has sustained basketball competitions in the country for the past 20 years and should be encouraged to bring out the talents in the children.
Milo in conjunction with Giants of Africa and some American National Basketball Association (NBA) coaches, led by Masai Ujiri of Toronto Raptor’s, will organise a basketball training programme tagged ‘Nestle Milo Top 50 Camp’ in August.