12 schools compete when the 25th C’SHIP National Milo Basketball begins

12 Secondary schools compete for the highest honors in the male and female categories in the 25th edition of the National Basketball Championship of Milo, which begins on Saturday, June 21 in the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium.

Representing different states from all over the country, participating schools are uniformly divided into both gender divisions.

The male teams include the Government High School (Adamawa), the Grammar School of Bishop Dimieari (Bayelsa), the Gwarinpa Gwarinpa Gubernamental School (FCT), Ahmadiyya College (Kano), David Hall College (Lagos) and Father O’Connell Science College (state of Niger).

The women’s teams are the Government of Girls Government (Adamawa), the Girls St. Jude School (Bayelsa), the Secondary School of the Government (FCT), the Ahmadiyya College (Kano), the Lanre Leke Academy (Osun) and the Onireke high school, Gra (state of Oyo).

Speaking during Friday’s draw ceremony, Nestlé Nigeria PLC managing director Wassim Elhusseni highlighted the growth of competition since its inception in 1999.

“In fact, it is rewarding that a championship that began with a pilot edition in 1999 in the geographical area of ​​the country of the southwest of the country has won national and international prominence as a truly successful experience in the development of grassroots talents.

“The tournament has continued to enjoy a growing profile due to the unwavering commitment of its only sponsor and our valuable host, Nestlé Nigeria PLC, which has left a lasting legacy worthy of emulation by other corporate organizations in Nigeria,” he said.

He emphasized Nestlé’s continuous commitment to base sports, pointing out the role of the championship in the production of elite basketball talents that have represented Nigeria in international stages.

Also speaking at the event, Ifeanyi Orabuche, beverage category manager at Nestlé Nigeria, reiterated the company’s belief in the values ​​that sports instill.

“During the last 25 years, Nestlé Milo has passed the belief that sports are one of the best teachers to nurture future leaders through the value that sports instill; determination, resistance, leadership and very important respect.

“This championship has become a symbol of that vision that empowers more than 150,000 every year and more than 1.5 m of children in the last 25 years in Nigeria to discover their strength, express their talents and enter its potential,” he said.

The president of Zone 3 of FIBA ​​Africa, Colonel Sam Ahmedu (RTD), praised the tournament as a fundamental element in the development of basketball in the country.

“This championship is more than a game, it is a legacy. It has put the foundations for the success we see today in Nigerian basketball,” he said.

Meanwhile, the president of the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), Olabisi Joseph, revealed that this year’s tournament has an additional importance, saying that a selected group of outstanding players from the finals will form a national team to represent Nigeria in the school games of Africa, scheduled for July 25 to August 6 in Algeria.