The battle for basketball supremacy is set to unfold in Lagos as 12 schools gear up for the 24th National MILO Basketball Championship, scheduled to tip off on June 22 and 28 at the National Stadium in Surulere.
The highly anticipated draws ceremony revealed the grouping of the 12 contenders into four pools each in the male and female categories, setting the stage for a thrilling competition that promises to showcase the best of Nigerian youth basketball talent.
The schools which scaled through the preliminary stages in both the Northern and Southern conferences to the final included Father O’Connell Science College, Bishop Dimieari Grammar School, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria Secondary School in Cross River State in Group A under the male category.
Other teams in the male category Group B were Ijaiye Housing Estate Senior Grammar Schools, Lagos; Rumfa College, Kano, and Government Day Secondary School, Gombe.
In the female category, Group A included defending champions Topfield College Ajegunle, Apapa, Lagos State; Dom Domigos College, Delta State, and Queen Amina College, Kaduna, while Group B comprises Government Secondary School, FCT Abuja; Zarumai Model School, Minna, Niger State, and new entrant into the competition, Onireke High School, Oyo State.
Before the draws, Managing Director, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Mr Wassim El-Husseini, represented by the country’s commercial director, Boladale Odunlami, expressed delight in providing a platform for young ones to showcase their talents.
“We are proud to leave a legacy where people’s lives are not only transformed but they are set up for a future that changes everything for them. Since its inception, the MILO Basketball Championship has served as a powerful platform for helping children imbibe values that pave the way for success in life,” he said.
He stressed that sports have contributed immensely to both academic excellence and the mental alertness of students. “Through sports, children learn grit, perseverance, and the qualities that lay a strong foundation for their futures. We are committed to shaping a better and healthier world for generations to come by fostering these values,” he added.
The president, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Africa Zone 3, Col. Sam Amedu, appreciated the organisers for their contribution to the growth of basketball, saying the school-grade competition has salvaged the sport from going into extinction in the country. “Without MILO school basketball championship, technical speaking there will be no basketball in Nigeria,” Amedu stated.
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