Delta Lifts Trophy At 18th Nestlé Milo Basketball Championship

Osadenis Mixed Secondary School Asaba, Delta State has won the male category of the Nestle Milo Secondary School Basket Champion lifting the trophy of the 18th Championship game at the indoor spot hall of the Asaba Township stadium.

Delta boys defeated Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT by 57 to 49 points to pick the trophy.

Also in the female category finals, Wesley Senior Girls Secondary School, Lagos lifted the trophy by defeating St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarafa, Bayelsa in a keenly contested game.

Lagos took the lead in the fourth and final quarter of the game beating Bayelsa with 30 to 29 points in the championship.

In his address, Mr Femi Akintola, Category Manager-Beverages, Nestle Nigeria PLC, said no fewer than 9,000 schools participated in the competition nationwide in both male and female categories.

He noted that this was the first time the championship was held outside Lagos, adding that the brand has through the championship supported over one million school children in the country.

“We are number one supporter of grassroots sports. This is because we believe that children who are physically active in exercise and sports are less likely to be obese”.

“And engaging in sports provide good opportunities for interacting with others and thereby learning important life skills such as determination, confidence, discipline and teamwork”, he said.

He expressed hope that this championship would produce new champions in both males and females categories.

While thanking the Delta Government for the support, he called for partnership and support to grow the grassroots sports in the country.

On his part, the Delta Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Chiedu Ebie, lauded the company for chosen the state, adding that the state government was looking forward to discovering new talents.

“Our governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa is a lover of sports and we will as a state continue to support sports development in the state”, he said.

Malam Mohammed Ibrahim, President, Nigeria School Sports Federation thanked Nestlé fir the championship and expressed hope that with this, the country would in the near future champion basketball in the world.

He challenge government from all strata to give support to grassroots sports by building sports facilities in schools and partnering the agencies and stakeholders in the project of building young talents.

According to Ibrahim, Milo has champion and sustained basketball competitions in the country for the past 20 years and should be encouraged to bring out the talents in the children.