Adamawa, Kano berth in Milo grand finale

After Ebonyi and Enugu states secured places in the grand finale of this year’s Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championship, the number of teams expected in Lagos has continued to swell with Adamawa and Kano qualifying from the Savannah Conference finals.

The girls and boys teams from Adamawa and Kano emerged champions during the final of the Savannah conference held in Kano on Tuesday. The team is now Lagos bound after confirming their places in the grand finale holding later in the year.

Adamawa’s Government Girls Secondary School defeated Zamfara’s Government Girls Day Secondary School by 18-16 points in the girls’ final of the Savannah Conference. But efforts by Adamawa to have its male team to be present at the grand finale was halted as the Yola-based General Murtala Mohammed College fell to the host team, Ahmadiya College of Kano by 85-79 points.

Being the biggest score line recorded so far this year in the championship, the support from the home fans was what spurred the Kano boys to victory against the hard-fighting Yola team in the explosive encounter.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) confirmed that Bayelsa’s boys’ team were disqualified from the Atlantic Conference final in Enugu for fielding ineligible players.

The federation spokesman, Kudu Biu Omar said, it was discovered during the screening that most of the Bayelsa boys were found to belong to a team, with some of them admitting not to be students.

The regional finals will move to the Western and Central conferences with the ancient city of Ibadan in Oyo State hosting the Western Conference, while Emirate seat, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital welcomes teams from Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Abuja, Niger, Plateau, Benue and Gombe states.

Teams that will compete at the Western conference in Ibadan are Edo, Delta, Lagos , Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Kogi states.

The regional finals in Central and Western conferences will hold from the 18th to 24th of this month.