Players and officials of Father O’Connell Science College, Minna, Niger State receiving their champions trophy and MILO gifts from Funmilola Oyewole – Category Development Manager Beverages at NestlĂ© Nigeria PLC and Mr. Victor Anyanwu Events Manager at NestlĂ© Nigeria PLC Central Conference of the 23rd MILO Basketball Championship at the Indoor Sports Hall, Package ‘B’ of the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on May 18, 2023.
It is a dream come true for coach Emmanuel Biodun Tanko, head
coach of Father O’Connell Science College, Minna, Niger State, as his team
defeated their counterparts from Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT in the
final of the boys’ category in the just concluded Central Conference of the
MILO Basketball Championship.
According to Coach Tanko, his team lost to the same opponents
last year in the same championship. On the team’s preparation on the road to
victory this year, Coach Tanko said, “We had 70 days of training. During
Ramadan, we were there. It is a testimony that hard work pays off. Also,
without God, we would not have been able to achieve this feat.”
Captain of the winning team from Father O’Connell Science College, Minna, Niger State, Mahmood Mustapha Mohammed, thanked NestlĂ© MILO for supporting and sponsoring them. The young man who says his dream is to play with globally recognized stars in the National Basketball Association (NBA) one day, also said, “I want to give a big shout-out to our parents and coaches for always being there for us and believing in us, trusting that we will come back with the trophy.”
Funmilola Oyewole – Category Development Manager Beverages at
Nestlé Nigeria PLC delivering the welcome address during the finale of the
Central Conference of the 23rd MILO Basketball Championship at the Indoor
Sports Hall, Package ‘B’ of the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on May 18, 2023.
The boys from Father O’Connell Science College, Minna, Niger
State fought hard in a keenly contested encounter to defeat the boys from
Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT with 53 points to 49. They were
therefore crowned champions in the boys’ category at the Central Conference of
the 23rd MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship held in Abuja from the
12th to the 19th of May 2023.
In the final game of the girls’ category of the championship,
Government Secondary School, Karu, FCT defeated their counterparts from Queen
Amina College, Kakuri, Kaduna State by 35 points to 24 points. Both Father
O’Connell Science College, Minna, Niger State and Government Secondary School,
Karu, FCT will represent the Central Conference at the national finals of the
23rd MILO Basketball Championship in Lagos in July.
Other teams who will be in Lagos for the national finals are
winners from the already concluded Savannah Conference which was held in Kano
from the 3rd to the 10th of May and winners from the two upcoming conferences –
Atlantic Conference in Asaba from the 20th to 27th of May and Western
Conference in Ibadan from May 30th to June 6th, 2023.
Category Manager for Beverages, Nestlé Nigeria, Mr. Olutayo
Olatunji, reiterated Nestle’s commitment to developing talents, promoting
healthier lifestyles, and instilling values for success in life through sports.
“MILO, firmly believes that through participation in sports, children learn
enduring values to help them achieve success in life,” he said.
“We are, therefore, pleased to have this opportunity to
provide a platform where young talents find expression through MILO Secondary
School Basketball
Championship. On the field of play, the teams depend on the
discipline, perseverance, courage, self-belief, and respect that they imbibe
during practice and through their interactions with each other. These life
skills are not only for basketball; they equip the players to navigate their
careers and to be productive in society. In a nutshell, ‘the GRIT’ you learn in
sport, you keep for life.”
NestlĂ© Nigeria’s MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship
has been promoting the value of grit for over 23 years, helping schoolchildren
learn essential life skills such as resilience, persistence, stamina,
cooperation, and self-belief. These values enable them to overcome challenges
and achieve their goals in life.
Nestlé continues to lead grassroots sports development in
Nigeria through its MILO Basketball Championship, contributing to the growth of
many players in the Nigerian national teams, and notable clubs across the world
today.
States who competed in the Central Conference of the MILO
Basketball Championship at the Indoor Sports Hall, Package ‘B’ of the MKO
Abiola Stadium in Abuja from the 12th to 19th of May, 2023 are Kebbi, Kogi,
Nasarawa, and host FCT. Others are Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Benue and Sokoto
states.
The MILO Basketball Championship has grown tremendously from
about 500 schools at its commencement in 1999. It now reaches over 150,000
individual players from over 10,000 schools across Nigeria every year.
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