Milo Basketball Championship Central Conference ends with Benue, FCT declared winners

Photo: Funmilola Oyewole – Category Development Manager, Nestlé Nigeria PLC addressing participants of the CentralConference of the 22nd Milo Basketball Championship at the Ilorin Township Stadium.

By allcitynews.ng

Akpur College, Gboko, Benue State and Government Secondary School, Karu,
FCT have emerged champions in the girls and boys categories respectively at the
Central Conference of the 22nd Milo Secondary Schools Basketball
Championship.

In the girls category, Akpur College, Gboko, Benue State defeated their Queen
Amina College, Sabon-Tasha, Kaduna State counterparts 35 to 31 to emerge
champions while the boys from Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT outclassed their Father O’Conel Science College, Minna, Niger State opponents 34 to 23 in a thrilling encounter.

Speaking on this 2nd of the four series Conferences, Category Manager for
Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria, Mr. Olutayo Olatunji said, “At MILO, we believe that
through participation in sports, children learn grit and imbibe values that help
them on their journey to success in life. We are therefore committed to the MILO
Secondary Schools Basketball Championship in Nigeria. We are delighted that we are able to return the Championship after a break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Let me use this opportunity to reiterate our commitment to developing talents,
enforcing healthier lifestyle, and instilling values and lessons for success in life through this Championship.
The MILO Secondary Schools Basketball
Championship will continue to provide the opportunities for developing qualities including leadership skills, ability to work in a team, perseverance, courage, self-belief, and respect in these young ones who participate.”

Moreover she said, “We are grateful to our partners – the Nigeria Schools Sports Federation (NSSF) and the National
Collegiate Sports Foundation (NCSF) for their support over the last 22 editions”.

The Chairman of the Kwara State sports council, Bolakale Adisa Mogaji, who was
special guest at the Conference finale said “I am a beneficiary of MILO sports
development in Nigeria myself. I participated in the now rested MILO Squash Championship in Lagos many years ago. MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship is a very good development for all basketball players.

“As these students have gathered from different states for a bigger competition, they will be encouraged to take the sport more seriously and enjoy all the benefits of playing and participating. We thank MILO for continuing to be a pillar of spots in Nigeria.”

The Central Conference was hosted at the Ilorin Township Stadium in the Kwara
State capital from the 14th to 20th of May 2022.

The states that make up this
Conference are Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau and host Kwara. Others are Benue,
Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto and the F.C.T (Abuja). The Champions in both the male
and female categories of this Conference will compete with winners from the
Savanna Conference held in Kano from the 7th to 13th of May as well as the other two future Conferences – Equatorial Conference, Enugu: 21st – 27th May and Western Conferences, Ibadan: 28th May – 3rd June in the national final at the indoor sports hall of the national stadium in Surulere, Lagos from June 25 to July 01, 2022.

For over 2 decades, MILO has emphasised the importance of grit to teach schoolchildren vital life values such as determination, tenacity, endurance,
perseverance, teamwork and self-confidence, using the Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship as a platform.

The company stressed that Nestlé will continue to support grassroot sports development in Nigeria in line
with its purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for
everyone today and for generations to come.

The next Conference of the 22nd Milo Secondary Schools Basketball
Championship – Equatorial Conference – will take place in Enugu from 21st – 27th
May 2022