Ado Salisu
The Nigerian School Sports Federation NSSF has charged participants in this year’s Inter-Secondary Schools Basketball Championship, tagged the Savannah Conference, to uphold sportsmanship and discipline throughout the tournament.
The championship, sponsored by Nestlé Nigeria under its Milo brand, officially commenced in Kano with teams from different states participating in both boys’ and girls’ categories.
Speaking during a pre-match and technical meeting held at the indoor sports hall of the Sani Abacha Sports Complex, the President of the federation, Mrs. Olabisi Joseph, represented by the Secretary General, Dr. Oba Funsho Usman, urged players and officials to demonstrate fair play and exemplary conduct to ensure a successful competition.
She noted that the Nestlé Milo Basketball Championship, which has been sponsored by the company for nearly three decades, has produced several basketball stars currently playing for clubs in Europe and other parts of the world.
According to her, the technical meeting and screening exercise for both boys and girls were organised to verify the eligibility of players participating in the tournament.
The federation also commended state governments for supporting the growth of basketball and school sports development across the country.
She assured that the federation would continue to promote sporting activities among students while also encouraging academic excellence.
In the opening matches, Ahmadiyya College Kano defeated Government Girls Secondary School, Garki, Jigawa State, 31–04 points in the girls’ category.
In another match, Government Girls Secondary School, Yola, Adamawa State, lost 09–15 points to Government Girls College Bauchi.
More matches in both the boys’ and girls’ categories are scheduled to continue on Friday at the same venue.