19th Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship: Enugu State Vows to Prioritise Basketball in Schools

–Ebonyi, Bayelsa qualify for Lagos finals
Based on the success recorded in the just concluded 2017 Nestle Milo
Secondary School Basketball Championship at the Indoor Sports Hall of
the Nmandi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Enugu State, the Commissioner for
Youth and Sports in the state, Charles Ndukwe said he would ensure
that basketball becomes the state’s second sport after football.
The Commissioner made this known in his office when the
representatives of the sponsors of the competition, Nestle Milo,
organisers and students from participating schools paid him a courtesy
visit. He thanked Milo for the consistency it had shown towards the
future champions for Nigeria.
“Many sponsors have withdrawn from sponsoring competitions but Milo
has uninterruptedly been sponsoring Milo Secondary School Basketball
Championship for the past 19 years. It is just a testimony to the
passion the company has for grassroots sports development in the
country,” Ndukwe said.
He therefore enjoined the students to leverage on the opportunity
provided by Milo by striving hard to become greater basketball stars
without losing focus on their education.
The commissioner vowed to ensure that basketball becomes a priority
sport in the state by taking the game to secondary schools, just as
crave for the support of Milo in achieving this objective.
Meanwhile, St. Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State defeated
Bayelsa’s Belary Schools, Yenegoa, 31 – 20 to emerge champions of
Equatorial Conference of the 2017 Milo Basketball Championship.
The female category was won by Bayelsa’s St. Jude’s Girls Secondary
School, Amarata, after defeating Imo’s Holy Rosary International
College, Owerri, 22 – 5. The winning teams were presented with the
trophy, cheque of N100, 000.00 and Milo products.
Nwankwo Samuel from Ebonyi was voted the Most Valuable Player in the
boys’ category, while Balyesa’s Grace John won the girls’ MVP.
Imo and Anambra states won the Fair Play trophy in boys and girls respectively.
The wining schools in both the boys and girls category have qualified
for the national finals slated for the Indoor Sports Hall of the
National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos between June 11-17.

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