Bayelsa State has once again written its name in gold on the marble of the Nestle Milo National Secondary Schools Basketball Championship by winning both the boys and girls categories of the just-concluded championship in Lagos.
At the 22nd edtion of the championship, Bayelsa representatives St.Jude’s Girls Model School, Amarata-Yenegoa and the Bishop Dimeari Grammar School Ovom-Yenagoa both emerged winners of the male and female competition.
Interestingly, this is the 7th time in a row the girls from Bayelsa have won the gold while the boys from Bayelsa have won the competition for the very first time.
Since the inception of the secondary school basketball competition organised by Nestle Nigeria Plc over 22 years ago this is first time a state in Nigeria will be winning both the boys and and girls categories. This feat calls for celebration.
The championship which featured no fewer than 10,000 secondary schools was later group into Conferences. The Western Conference, Central Conference, Equatorial Conference and the Savannah Conference. With two finalists representing each Conference both in the boys and girls categories.
The grand finale was contest by eight states which are the winners in each Conference. So the victory of Bayelsa State basketball teams was no mean achievement in all its ramifications. It was grueling contest and a victory well deserved judging by the sheer number of team that participated right from inception of the competition to the finals.
Nestle Nigeria Plc organisers of the basketball championship said it believed that sports provide a platform to teach children grit and help them imbibe values on their journey to success in life. ” This Championship will continue to provide opportunities for developing qualities including leadership skills, ability to work in a team, perseverance, courage, self-belief, and respect in these young ones who participate”.
It will not be out of place to say thank you to Nestle Plc which has consistently used secondary schools basketball to contributed to national development through healthy competitions among our youths where talents are discovered, trained, and showcased to the world.
Over the last two decades, the Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship has emphasised the importance of grit to teach school children vital life values such as determination, tenacity, endurance, perseverance, teamwork, and self-confidence.
Indeed, the victorious Bayelsa State basketball teams exhibited determination, tenacity, endurance, perseverance, teamwork and self-confidence to clinch the coveted crown. Little wonder, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri on receiving the sheering news congratulated the the teams for coming out tops in the championship.
He said: “The victory of the St. Jude’s girls and the BDGS boys in the Milo basketball championship is very heartwarming, commendable and encouraging. I salute the courage and indomitable spirit of these lads.
“These worthy ambassadors of our dear state have again shown that they have imbibed the message of sporting excellence that our Prosperity Administration is encouraging and promoting. For making us proud, the government will continue to reward excellence”
While we join millions of Bayelsa to say kodus, well done to these young lads who have against all odds made the state proud, let the oil of victory never run dry! It is the place of this administration to continue to nurture and develop these young talents so that in future that can transit to become world champions.
It is ironical that despite the dearth of a basketball courts in the State, Jude’s Girls Secondary school won the Milo Championship for the seventh time. This is a pionter to the avalanche of basketball talents that abound in the state. The victory should serve as a wake up call to Government to begin to invest massively in basketball by building a standard courts in designated secondary schools.
Niger Delta Herald tasks Government to begin to as matter of priority set up basketball academy in the state to groom more young ones and ensure that scholarships are giving to the victorious teams members to further their education. Finally, we are of the opinion that the schools’ sports federation of Nigeria, Bayelsa State should organised sports competition amongst secondary schools in the state in order to catch them young. Sports has become a veritable avenue to earn a living and a panacea for peace.
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