Adamawa, Taraba schools win 2023 Milo Basketball Zonal Championships
Taraba and Adamawa students on Tuesday emerged zonal champions of the 23rd Nestle-Milo Secondary School Basketball Championships.
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that the competition took place at the Indoor Sports Hall of Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano.
The encounter saw the Government Science Secondary School, Taraba girls’ team defeating Government Secondary School, Numan, Adamawa counterparts, 19-13 to lift the girls’ trophy.
In a similar vein, the Murtala Muhammed College, Adamawa defeated Dutse Model International Secondary School, Jigawa 39-24 to win the boys’ category.
In a speech, the Category Manager, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr Olutayo Olutunji, said that they were delighted to celebrate the 23rd edition in the 25th year of the championship.
He said that the championship provided them with a unique opportunity to continuously support grassroots sports development in the country.
Olutunji, represented by the company’s Sports Marketing Manager, Funmilola Oyewole, also said that the competition over the years provided the important platform for young lovers of the game to be developed and nurtured to stardom.
According to him, the championship started in 1999, with less than 500 schools.
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“Today, the championship now brings together over 10,000 schools every year,” he said.
He further said that the championship was Nigeria’s only private company-sponsored school sports and enjoyed the collaboration of Nigeria Schools Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Sports Foundation.
“Today, we witness the final games to determine the champions in both the male and female categories in this Savannah Conference.
“These champions will go on to represent the Savannah Conference at the national grand finale in Lagos in July,” Olutunji said.
He said that this year’s national finals would hold at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos from July 1 to July 8.
The star player for Adamawa team, Bunam Dickson, won the Most Valuable Player Award of the tournament for the boys category while Happy Sylvester from Taraba won the title for girls.
Winners of the categories went home with a trophy as well as N200,000 while second runners up pocketed N150,000.
