BY DAYO ADESULU
At the first regional conference of the 23rd MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship, Government Day Science Secondary School Jalingo in Taraba State and General Murtala Mohammed College, Yola in Adamawa State, respectively, took first place in the boys’ and girls’ categories.
For more than 23 years, Nestlé Nigeria’s MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship has helped students develop critical life qualities including resiliency, tenacity, stamina, teamwork, and self-belief.
They may overcome obstacles and accomplish their life goals thanks to these values.
Government Day Science Secondary School Jalingo defeated Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa State, in the girl’s division at the recently ended Savannah Conference, winning by a score of 19 to 13 points.
General Murtala Mohammed College Yola, which competed in the boys division, defeated Dutse Model International College, Dutse, Jigawa State, by scoring 39 points to their opponent’s 24 points.
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the event for the girls division was Happy Sylvester from Government Day Science Secondary School Jalingo, Taraba State.
“I cannot express how I feel in words, but I am incredibly excited. I never anticipated something this big, but with God, anything is possible. I give thanks to God, MILO, and my comrades,” she stated.
Numan Dickson of General Murtala Mohammed College in Yola, Adamawa State, won the boys’ category of the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
“I am happy and extremely excited. Thanks, to my teammates and coaches. They made my dream come true. I always wanted to be MVP since I started playing basketball, So I am happy.”
Nestlé continues to lead grassroots sports development in Nigeria through its MILO Basketball Championship, contributing to the growth of many players in the Nigerian national teams, and notable clubs across the world today.
Category Manager for Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria, Mr Olutayo Olatunji, reiterated
Nestle’s commitment to developing talents, promoting healthier lifestyles, and instilling values for success in life through sports.
“MILO, firmly believes that through participation in sports, children learn enduring values to help them achieve sustainable success in life,” he said.
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“We are, therefore, pleased to have this opportunity to provide a platform where young talents find expression through MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship.
On the field of play, the teams depend on the discipline, perseverance, courage, self-belief, and respect that they imbibe during practice and through their interactions with each other.
These life skills are not only for basketball; they equip the players to navigate their careers and to be productive in society. in a nutshell, ‘the GRIT’ you learn in sport, you keep for life.”
Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Zamfara, and Kano were among the states that participated in the Savannah Conference, which was held in the Sanni Abacha stadium in Kano from May 3–10, 2023. Others include Jigawa, Gombe, Katsina, and Bauchi.
At the national finals in July 2023, victors of the Savannah Conference would compete against those of the Central Conference in Abuja, Equatorial Conference in Asaba, and Western Conference in Ibadan. These conferences were conducted between May 12 and June 6, 2023.
The Central Conference will take place from May 12–19, 2023, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship, which began in 1999 with only a few schools, now attracts more than 150,000 individual players from more than 10,000 schools around Nigeria each year.
