USS emerges champion of maiden Kwara secondary schools basketball championship
….Girls team claims bronze medal
By Mustafa Abubakar
The University of Ilorin Secondary School(USS) has emerged champions of the Boys’ category at the maiden edition of the Kwara State Secondary Schools Basketball Championship while the girls’ team also claimed bronze.
The game, which was held penultimate Sunday (May 10, 2026) at the Kwara State Stadium Complex, Ilorin, saw the USS team defeating St. Anthony Secondary School 51–26 to clinch the Boys’ category title while Olayemi Comprehensive College edged out Hill City Secondary School 22–18 to secure third position in the Boys’ category.
In the Girls’ category, St. Anthony Secondary School overcame Olayemi Comprehensive College 12–3 to emerge champions.
In his remarks, at the closing ceremony, the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Mallam Bolakale Mogaji, praised the organisers for the initiative and stressed the need for continuity through regular school competitions, talent discovery programmes and basketball trials across the state.
Mallam Mogaji assured all that the Sports Commission would support efforts aimed at strengthening grassroots sports development in Kwara State.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Kwara State Basketball Association, Mr Aliyu Jubril, said the championship was organised to discover young talents and engage teenagers positively through sports while instilling values such as discipline, leadership, teamwork and coordination.
Mr Jubril noted that many successful professionals and international athletes started their careers through similar school competitions and commended the support of former players and professionals, including Opeyemi Babalola of Webber Engineering Limited and Rasheed Bello, for contributing to the success of the tournament.
He added that sustained grassroots basketball development would help shape the future of young athletes and create opportunities for them at national and international levels.
He also called for increased financial support for basketball development in the state, recalling how Kwara Falcons represented Nigeria at the Basketball Africa League in 2022.
Sports administrators, coaches, scouts and other stakeholders at the championship described the tournament as a major step toward reviving grassroots basketball and repositioning school sports development in Kwara State, expressing optimism about the future growth of the game in the state.
