Harmony Secondary School Lokoja, Kogi state have qualified for the semi-finals of the confluence conference at the ongoing 18th edition of Nestle Milo Secondary school Basketball Championship in Lokoja. The Kogi Girls were too strong for the students of Government Girls Unity College Damaturu, as they thrashed the Yobe girls 32 points to 03. After […]
via 18TH NESTLE MILO BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP KANO, BORNO LAND IN CONFLUENCE SEMI FINAL. — newfanzoneblog
For eight days a total of 18 Secondary Schools teams (9 boys and 9 girls) qualified from 9 states that make up the confluence conference gathered in Lokoja to flag off the first out of the four conferences as packaged by Nestle Milo the event’s sole sponsor.
Nestle’s target is the development of Nigerian youths using the game of basketball to showcase their talents. The turn out by the states and their teams was encouraging. A total of 30 matches were played and this situation made it possible for more referees to be engaged at the championship. It is said that the only thing permanent is change.
There were change of guards in some matches making way for newcomers to experience victory. The absence of some crazy scores especially the quarter final stages was a clear indication that the sponsor Nestle Milo and other stakeholders, the Nigerian School Sports Federation and the National Collegiate Sports Foundation have already made the game of basketball a household name in Nigeria. The perpetual dominance of the game in the past by some states has also become things of the past.
Host, Kogi State dethroned Adamawa in the final to emerge as confluence conference champions. This is a clear evidence that the game of basketball has already developed a tap root at the grassroots. The students mastering of the rules and skills of the game explains they have firm grip of basketball, kudos to the sponsor Nestle Milo.
The President FIBA Africa Zone 3 Col. Sam Ahmedu who is also the coordinator of the Nestle Milo Secondary School Championship said the standard at the confluence conference was very high.
“The keen competition by the participating teams tells the story of the steady growth of game in the country and this feat should be credited to Nestle”. The quarter final and semi final matches were close shaves. In the near future champions from the confluence can spring up from Taraba, Borno, Kano or Zamfara. Kogi State Commissioner for Sports and Youth, Hon. Attah Sule Itani said the Nestle Milo Championship which keeps the youth busy all the year round is a good thing to happen in sports development. “You can see for the past six days, the focus of these players has been on the game of basketball. The players and their coaches have only been discussing tactics and match strategies”.
In terms of organization, all the departments at the confluence in Lokoja scored highly to raise the standard. Anybody who watched the 2014 final in Lagos would observe that the confluence final in Lokoja toed the same line.
There were no dull moments at intervals. Apart from the Milo clap that greeted every score, the Space Unlimited choreography group from Lagos added color on the final day at the confluence conference. With the confluence conference over the train moves to Benin City, Edo State where the other qualifiers for the Atlantic Conference converged to vie for honours.
SWXQA!1
Not less than 8,000 schools have registered for the 17th Nestle MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship tagged “Slam to win” across the 36 states and the Federal capital territory of Nigeria.
At a press conference to herald the 17th edition of the championship,the Managing Director of Nestle Nigeria PLC, Dharnesh Gordhon said, ” The championship is aimed at inspiring the Nigerian youth to get into sports and enjoy the positive experience of physical activities early in life whilst instilling life values of hard work,responsibilty,fair play,discipline,perseverance and team work spirit”
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According to the Category Manager Beverages, Mr Olufemi Akintola “Champions from 36 states and FCT will slug it out in four conferences where they will represent their states. The winner of each of the conference will qualify for the national finals. Two lucky losers will also qualify to play in the national finals. The four conferences are: Confluence conference in Lokoja, Atlantic conference in Benin-city, Central conference in Akure and Western conference in Ibadan.”
He also said at the end of the conferences,twelve teams (six male and six female) will emerge to play at the grand finale of the 17th MILO Secondary Schools Basketball Championship. All twelve teams will battle it out for the coveted cup at the Indoor sports hall of the National stadium, Surulere, Lagos from 1st to 6th June this year. Every team participating in the national finals will receive N200,000. Winners will go home with additional N150000 for first place,while the second and third placed teams will receive N120,000 and N100,000 respectively.
The draw for the National finals were made at the press conference;
Male Category:
Group A
Central Conference Champion
Confluence Conference Champion
Best Loser 1
Group B
Western Conference champion
Atlantic Conference champion
Best Loser 2
Female Category:
Group A
Central Conference champion
Confluence Conference champion
Best Loser 2
Group B
Western Conference champion
Atlantic Conference champion
Best Loser 1
Paul Ayorinde
Coach of the National U-17 team, Emmanuel Amuneke is scheduled to pay a morale boosting visit to players of Team Nigeria after they fly into Lagos on Saturday, May 24. The players and their handlers are arriving Lagos after weeks of camping at the Kwara Football Academy where they were put through their paces by technical officials of the prestigious academy led by Paul Adams Odey.
The team that received commendation from the General Manager of the Academy and former Super Eagles forward, Mutiu Adepoju will be hosted to a welcome dinner by officials of Nestle Milo, sponsors of the tournament, National School Sports Federation (NSSF), Lagos State Ministry of Sports and the Sports Council.
Revealing the plans for the pupils of St. Barnabas LGEA, Ilorin, Mrs Doja Ekeruche, Category Business Manager, Beverages, Nestle Nigeria PLC said “Team Nigeria is expected to stop over in Lagos and Nestle Plc will be hosting them to dinner in line with our tradition as sponsors of this event”.
The itinerary of the team shows that they will travel to the International Sports Academy, Wasimi in Ogun State on Sunday, May 25 where they will be visited by Amuneke. President of the NSSF, Ibrahim Mohammed had recently urged Amuneke to keep an eye on the boys for possible selection into the Eaglets.
“We are obviously pleased that Amuneke will be visiting the young boys, such a visit by a national football icon will be a great boost to their preparation”, Ekereuche remarked.
St. Barnabas LGEA completed their camping exercise in Ilorin where they also engaged in a number of friendly matches. Their last game was against a select Kwara State team for the 6th Channels Television National Kids Cup for schools. Team Nigeria won that game 5-2.
The Milo Africa Championship will hold from May 29-31 with teams from South Africa, Ghana and Kenya participating in the third edition of the
Nestle Plc will on Wednesday, April 16 unveil plans for the Milo U-13 African Championship, which is a football competition for U-13 boys in Africa.
Mrs Doja Ekeruche, Category Business Manager, Beverages, Nestle Nigeria PLC, said the Media Briefing scheduled to hold at the Protea Hotel, Maryland will kick-start a month long build-up to the tournament which is holding in Nigeria for the first time.
“On the occasion, we will be presenting the Team Nigeria to the Media and flag-off the official communication to engage a cross-section of our consumers and football stakeholders on this championship which is being hosted in Nigeria for the first time”, Ekeruche explained.
Milo is a foremost sports development brand which has consistently provided platforms in basketball and football to discover and nurture the innate talents in young Nigerians of school age and also inculcate healthy values to help them succeed in life.
The Milo U-13 African Championship was first held in South Africa in 2010, which Nigeria won and in 2012, Ghana hosted and won the competition.
Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya are some of the countries that have qualified for this year’s event which has been tagged Nigeria 2014.
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