VEECUBED community: Nestle Milo Gives Scholarships to 32 Edo Pupils

The season of the Milo Football Clinic ended on Saturday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City with 32 pupils from various schools in the city and environs securing scholarships. The scholarship awarded was for those who made the final selection and participated in the novelty match for the closing ceremony.

Each member of the winning team called Team Green went home with N40,000 cash as part of a scholarship scheme initiated by Milo to build up in the pupils in their formative period. Team White members who lost the match by 6-3 got N20,000 each. Benjamin Julius who scored for the winning team in the first minute was named Man-of-the-Match.

But every player was a champion as the over 2,000 pupils that participated got branded gifts to take home apart from the knowledge imparted on them on and off the football pitch. The scholarship and gifts award was the second in line as those who featured in the programme nearly a fortnight ago in Abuja left the Old Parade Ground in similar fashion.

The programme is anchored by a former Super Eagles captain Peter Rufai. In Benin he was assisted by many coaches including Monday Eguavoen. Another former captain and coach of the Eagles Austin Eguavoen addressed the pupils on Friday and was also a part of the closing events on Saturday. The Edo State Commissioner of Sports Omorede Osifo represented the governor of the state Adams Oshiomhole while the Oba of Benin, Erediuawa was represented by four of his chiefs.

The Category Business Manager, Beverages, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Doja Ekeruche, said the clinic is a grassroots programme, aimed at developing the champion spirit in children across the country.

She said, “I am particularly delighted that this year’s clinic has witnessed tremendous improvement with the fulfillment of our promise to take the Milo Football Clinic to more people and new locations.”

The programme will run through six states with Port Harcourt the next centre from Tuesday. The event will continue in Enugu, Akure, Abeokuta with Lagos hosting the finals of the event which is open to boys and girls between the ages of nine and 13. The Lagos leg will hold on November 16.

In all about 14,000 are expected to participate in the 2013 programme.