Cross River, Bayelsa win Equatorial Conference

The Equatorial Conference final in the boys’ and girls’ categories of the Nestle Milo Basketball Championship have been decided at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Stadium, Enugu.
The curtain raiser was the girls’ final which featured Marist Comprehensive Secondary School, Uturu, Abia State and St. Jude Girls’ Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State.
St. Jude Girls took control from the first quarter and never relented until the final whistle with scores at 26-11 in the team’s favour.
In reaction, Coach Tony Nelson said: “I am happy my girls got the ticket to be in the national final in Asaba. We are going to intensify our training.”
In the boys’ final, Government Secondary School, Barracks, Cross River State was a hard nut to crack by Ritman College, Ikot Ikpene, Akwa Ibom State in a well contested match.
Government Secondary School took the lead in the first quarter with 7-4 and recorded 20-15, 24-23 before sealing victory 35-32 in the later quarter.
Coach Omini Ubi declared that his boys enjoyed team work, discipline, and accurate shooting.
“We played as a team. My players had good understanding and always playing to instructions,’’ he stressed.
Captain Michael Mba won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Susan Odiowei of St Jude Girls’ High School won the girls’ MVP award.
Enugu State Sports Commissioner, Charles Ndukwe, noted that the championship has engaged young talents across the country.
“For the past 18 years the Nestle Milo Basketball Championship has committed itself to discovering and developing players from the grassroots.
“The youths are kept busy with the championship all year round, which has helped reduce social vices. Enugu State government is looking forward to host the national championship in the nearest future,” Ndukwe announced.
Nestle Nigeria Branch Manager (South East), Boladale Odunlami, reiterated that for nearly 20 years Milo has been in the forefront of basketball development in Nigeria.
And, he added, “the championship has helped to produce many top athletes in the sport, a large percentage of players in both the male and female national basketball teams today passed through the Milo Championship.
“The Milo spirit is to support their drive to succeed and enable them enjoy the true achievement of reaching their personal best.”