JR. NBA DEBUTS IN MALAYSIA
- NBA and Dutch Lady Malaysia partner on free programme for both boys and girls to promote active lifestyle among children through basketball -
Jr. NBA has been staged in the Philippines for seven consecutive years as part of the ongoing partnership between the NBA and FrieslandCampina through its Alaska brand. To date, more than 80,000 students, parents, and coaches have participated in camps, clinics and NBA Cares activities. Participants are trained in the fundamentals of basketball and learn the importance of the Jr. NBA core values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude, and Respect (S.T.A.R.).
“Jr. NBA aims to improve the health of children through basketball, and to instill key values that prepare our participants for life off the court,” said Francesco Suarez, Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships, NBA Asia. “Together with Dutch Lady Malaysia, the NBA will bring the fun of basketball through our flagship youth development programme to boys and girls in this country.”
Inspired by the need to work towards improving the nutritional status of children in Southeast Asia, the partnership with Jr. NBA is part of the ‘Drink.Move.Be Strong’ campaign, which aims to bridge critical nutrition gaps identified by the Southeast Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS), a nutritional study initiated in 2009.
SEANUTS findings indicated one in five Malaysian children are overweight or obese, while school age children report low physical activity; and half the children studied have Vitamin D insufficiency. “These insights from SEANUTS implicate parents, schools, healthcare professionals, policymakers and even the private sector, all of whom need to play proactive roles in educating and getting Malaysian children to be healthier with the right nutrition and more physical activities,” said Rahul Colaco, Managing Director of Dutch Lady Malaysia. “As such, through the Jr. NBA programme and Drink.Move.Be Strong—the campaign that anchors our World Milk Day 2014 celebration—Dutch Lady Malaysia hopes to harness the power of nutrition and basketball to enable Malaysian children to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle.”
Welcoming the Jr. NBA programme to school children in Malaysia, Director General for the Ministry of Education, Yang Berbahagia Datuk Dr. Khair Bin Mohamad Yusof, said that the ministry is very pleased to have Dutch Lady Malaysia working with them to promote the 1Student1Sport policy. “We believe school children will benefit tremendously from the Jr. NBA programme. With this structured plan in place, we hope more children will take up and enjoy basketball.” Datuk Dr. Khair also encouraged parents to set an example for their children to cultivate a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits, which directly affects their children’s nutritional wellbeing in the long run. “Both parents and children need to actively source and receive credible knowledge on the importance and benefits of nutrition and exercise. This is where the private sectors can come in to support and promote physical activities and sports programme to help children adopt a healthier lifestyle,” he added.
Jr. NBA Malaysia 2014 presented by Dutch Lady Malaysia tipped off today with a coaches clinic at the MABA Stadium. An open clinic for both boys and girls will be held on June 1 at Sekolah Wawasan in USJ15. This year’s schedule includes additional clinics leading up to the Selection Camp in August, where the top 40 boys and top 24 girls aged 10 to 14 will be chosen following a series of skills and character assessments to participate in the Jr. NBA National Training Camp in Kuala Lumpur from August 22-24. The National Training Camp, which will be attended by an NBA Legend or Player and feature NBA Cares community outreach, covers a three-day intensive training schedule and culminates with the selection of 10 boys and four girls who will be named as the inaugural Jr. NBA Malaysia All-Stars. These standout campers will receive a unique, overseas NBA Experience trip and the opportunity to play against a counterpart team from another country later in the year. In addition to the Philippines, Jr. NBA has also launched in Indonesia and Vietnam, with Thailand to follow later this year.
The programme is free and open to players between five and 14 years old. Players between the ages of 10 and 14 will be eligible for top selection during the Selection Camp and National Training Camp.
In addition to Dutch Lady Malaysia, the event is supported by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Spalding and Westports Malaysia Dragons; while Astro is the Official NBA Broadcaster.
Registration for the June 1 open clinic and the Selection Camp in August is currently ongoing through the official event website at www.jrnba.asia/Malaysia. Fans can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbamalaysia. Visit www.bestrong.com.my for more information on Drink.Move.Be Strong. For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com.
Fact Sheet
The Impetus of Drink.Move.Be Strong
Our journey in life depends on what we learn in our early years and childhood. The habits we pick up in these years influence our future. It will define who we will become, and what we can achieve.
Drink.Move.Be Strong is a campaign founded in the fundamental belief that a child’s growth and development is heavily influenced by both diet, nutrition and daily exercise.
Findings from SEANUTS, a region-wide nutritional survey conducted across 16,774 children in Southeast Asia, were a key driver in the formulation of the campaign—Drink.Move.Be Strong; focusing on helping address the potential impacts on a child’s growth and development based on their current nutritional status.
About Drink.Move.Be Strong
Key findings from SEANUTS
High percentage of Vitamin D insufficiency despite the amount of available sunlight.
Low levels of physical activity.
30-40% of kids are not getting enough of the right nutrition, regardless of age, location or income.
Drink – By encouraging children to drink a glass of milk every day, the campaign will educate children on the goodness of milk and inspire them to pick up good and regular nutritional habits.
Move – Partnering with Jr. NBA, the region-wide initiative hopes to encourage children across ages to lead an active and healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and play.
Be Strong – The holistic approach balances dietary intake with physical exercise and play to support a child’s overall wellbeing and set them up for success later in life.
FrieslandCampina’s Belief and Commitment
Children will face more challenges if they are not well nourished, and deserve our attention and concerted efforts to help them towards a healthier future.
FrieslandCampina believes in milk’s ability to foster our children’s future and is committed to work toward providing the day-to-day needs of their developing minds and bodies.
A formula for the ones we love, done daily, with their future in mind, just as our parents gave us the advantage to thrive and endure, we must promise the same to our children. To give them limitless possibilities, to help expose the true potential within their growing bodies.
Our Credo
Change, must come in the form of action. A glass of milk, an hour of sun, a brighter future.
Take the First Step
Sign up for the Jr. NBA clinics and learn more about the Drink.Move.Be Strong campaign at www.bestrong.com.my.
