Date: 2018-02-08

The state level contest of the 2018 Milo Secondary Schools Basketball Championships began on Wednesday on the basketball courts of the Kwara Stadium Complex in Ilorin. In the first match of the boys' competition, University of Ilorin Secondary School Ilorin defeated Okelele Secondary School of Ilorin 24-5.

In other matches, St. Charles College of Ilorin beat St. Anthony Secondary School of Ilorin 25-5, while Government Secondary School Ilorin lost 0-13 to Adesoye College of Offa.

In the girls' category, St. Charles College of Ilorin defeated their University of Ilorin Secondary School counterparts 30-0, while Okelele Secondary School defeated United Girls Secondary School of Ilorin 4-0.

The Kwara Coordinator of Nigeria Schools Sports Federation, Bakare Salman, told newsmen that Games Masters and Mistresses of participating schools had undergone coaching and officiating clinics before the competition.

Salman said: "This is in order to enhance the quality of play and raise the level of competition."

He expressed optimism that more talents would be discovered for the future of the game with what he saw on the opening day of the competition. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 13 secondary schools are battling for honours in the competition.