The third edition of the ever popular Milo Junior Ball – an Annual Inter-Schools Basketball Competition is set to commence on Friday, February 24, across three regions in the country in one of the phases of the competition.

The competition designed for Basic Schools is to serve as a platform for young basketball players to showcase their talents and to groom them for the future.

Over 40 schools drawn from the Eastern, Central and Greater Accra Regions will get the unique chance to battle for a slot at the national finals slated for 13 April at the El-Wak Stadium, Accra.

According to the organizers, Rite Multi Media, there will be regional qualifiers to select winning schools to participate in the grand finale in Accra.

The first phase of the regional qualifiers will take place at the centre court of the Koforidua Secondary Technical School (KSTS) where over 10 schools have confirmed their participation in the competition on the 24th February, 2012.

The next stop will be in the Central Region on March 9, with Catholic Jubilee School attempting to defend the trophy they won last year against nerve racking encounters at the Hoops Care International Court at Cape Coast.

Jubilee’s sworn-rivals, St. Nicholas alongside Philip Quacoo, George Ekem Ferguson and Mfantsipim Junior High Schools are some of the schools lined up to battle for qualification.

Fifteen schools will wrap up the regional qualifiers in Accra on March 17, with defending champions, Air Force Basic School taking up competition against the likes of Ridge Church School, Alpha Beta, Lincoln School, Base Workshop, Garrison, Achimota, Cosmos and Calvary Basic Schools.

The competition, according to the organizers, is expected to treat basketball fans with a whole lot of skills, drills and thrills coupled with amazing dunks during the two months period.

The competition will have some hip-life artists entertaining soccer fans with some of their latest tunes and songs.

The 2012 Milo Junior Ball is sponsored Nestle Milo, with support from Indomie Instant Noodles and Rite Multimedia-leaders in basketball development and promotion in Ghana.