Enugu State Vows to Prioritise Basketball in Schools
Ebonyi, Bayelsa qualify for Lagos finals
Based on the success recorded in the just concluded 2017 Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Nmandi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, Enugu State, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports in the state, Charles Ndukwe said he would ensure that basketball becomes the state’s second sport after football.
The Commissioner made this known in his office when the representatives of the sponsors of the competition, Nestle Milo, organisers and students from participating schools paid him a courtesy visit. He thanked Milo for the consistency it had shown towards the future champions for Nigeria.
“Many sponsors have withdrawn from sponsoring competitions but Milo has uninterruptedly been sponsoring Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship for the past 19 years. It is just a testimony to the passion the company has for grassroots sports development in the country,” Ndukwe said.
He therefore enjoined the students to leverage on the opportunity provided by Milo by striving hard to become greater basketball stars without losing focus on their education.
The commissioner vowed to ensure that basketball becomes a priority sport in the state by taking the game to secondary schools, just as crave for the support of Milo in achieving this objective.
Meanwhile, St. Augustine’s Seminary, Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State defeated Bayelsa’s Belary Schools, Yenegoa, 31 – 20 to emerge champions of Equato- rial Conference of the 2017 Milo Basketball Championship.
The female category was won by Bayelsa’s St. Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, after defeating Imo’s Holy Rosary International College, Owerri, 22 – 5. The winning teams were presented with the trophy, cheque of N100, 000.00 and Milo products.
Nwankwo Samuel from Ebonyi was voted the Most Valuable Player in the boys’ category, while Balyesa’s Grace John won the girls’ MVP.
Imo and Anambra states won the Fair Play trophy in boys and girls respectively.
The wining schools in both the boys and girls category have qualified for the national finals slated for the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos between June 11-17.