The championship is to unearth and develop young talents as well as inspire healthier lifestyle among Ghanaian children.

The annual tournament which involves public schools across all the regions of Ghana is billed to commence on May 23-24 in Zone 1 with the final Regional competition on July 3 in Kumasi.

The Milo Under 13 champions league which in its 5th edition, is part of the Nestle Ghana’s grassroots sport development program, which had been in existence for over two decades and has discovered talents including Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, John Mensah among others.

Speaking at the launch at Nestlé Ghana Head Office in Accra, the Managing Director, Philomena Tan said, “Children are the future of this country. It is therefore essential to invest in them with the right knowledge, skills and resources to position them for greatness.

She said Nestlé was with firm conviction that with sports development programs in schools such as the MILO U-13 Champions League, we can help our children discover their talents while cultivating a healthier lifestyle”.

She thanked the GES for the collaboration and urged the children to take their education seriously while participating in sporting activities.

In his statement, the Director General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku Amankwa said, “it is proven that playing sports reduces the chance of children dropping out of school. It helps them to grow physically and intellectually while acquiring leadership skills to aid them in their educational journey and future aspirations”.

She thanked Nestlé for the collaboration and reiterated the GES’ commitment to continue discover and nurture talents through strategic partnerships.

Icon for the tournament and former Captain of the Black Stars, Stephen Appiah shared his excitement to be part of the tournament and helping the children grow in football as it helps imbibe teamwork in them.

He urged Nestlé and the GES to continue discovering new talents as it will help sustain the Ghanaian National Teams.

The Milo U-13 Champions League is held at three major stages; district, regional, and national levels. This year, 64 schools would compete in four zones of which 16 schools would advance to the finals. Each of these 16 schools making it to the finals will represent the 16 Regions of Ghana.

Zone one will have schools from the 5 Northern Regions - Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, and North East Region to be hosted whilst Zone two comprises of schools from the Bono East, Ahafo, Ashanti, and Bono. Zone three, includes schools from Central, Western North, and Western, while Zone four will have schools from Accra, Volta, Eastern and Oti.

The National finals would be held at the Paa Joe Stadium in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.