St Jude’s SS Amarata battles GSS Numan in opening game

Defending champions of the Nestle Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship, St Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata will meet Government Secondary School, Numan in the opening game of the final round of the 2019 Nestle Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship, which dunks off today and ends July 4 at the National Stadium, Lagos.

According to the organisers, the match will begin by 1.00 p.m.At the final draws held in Lagos on Thursday, Father O’Connel Science College, Minna will face Victorroti Private Secondary School, Abak in the boys’ opening game.

The championship is featuring six finalists in both the male and female categories, who won their different regional conferences in all parts of the country.

In the girls’ pairings, St Jude’s Girls College leads Group A, which comprises Government Secondary School, Numan and Government Secondary School, Gboko. In Group B are Dom Domingos College, Warri, Government Secondary School, Karu and FAAN Secondary School, Calabar.

In the boys’ category, Father O’Connel Science College, Minna, Brilliant College, Port Harcourt and Victorroti Private Secondary School, Abak are in Group A, while in Group B are Gen. Hassan Usman Katsina Unity College, Bauchi, Kings College, Ibadan and General Murtala Mohammed College, Yola.

Speaking at the national draws, Category Manager, Beverages, Nestle Milo Nigeria Plc., Olufemi Akintola said the Milo Basketball Championship, which started with less than 500 schools in 1999, has grown beyond just a sport to a passion that helps to discipline the body and minds of children

Also speaking at the occasion, NBBF Vice President, Babs Ogunade thanked Nestle Milo for sponsoring basketball at the grassroots level for 21 years, adding, “Their effort has produced stars who have represented Nigeria in international tournaments. In last year’s Women World Cup about five girls who played in the Milo championship were in the team.”