The National Basketball Association (NBA) recently announced the formation of the Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council as part of the league’s expanded efforts to encourage basketball participation and active lifestyles among children. The council, which includes Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, will provide direction on Jr. NBA’s development and accelerate the program’s growth with the goal of reaching more boys and girls across the region to help address and combat inactivity among youth.
The Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council consists of prominent business and community leaders as well as basketball stakeholders from Asia. In addition to Dikembe Mutombo, Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council members include: CEO/Asia, Forbes Media William P. Adamopoulos; Boonrawd Brewery Co., Ltd. Executive Vice President and Director Chutinant Bhimrombhakdi; Westports Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. CEO Ruben Emir Gnanalingam; GDP Venture and Kaskus CEO Martin Basuki Hartono; Xebio Co., Ltd. Executive Fellow Hiroko Morohashi; IDG Venture Vietnam Managing General Partner Henry Nguyen; YAN Media Group Chairman Rachan (Butch) Reddy; SM Prime Philippines President Hans Sy; Mayapada Group Indonesia Deputy Chairman Jonathan Tahir; Berjaya Corporation Berhad Chairman and CEO Dato’ Sri Robin Tan Yeong Ching; Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Founder, President and CEO Dennis A. Uy; and Alaska Milk Corporation President and CEO Wilfred Steven Uytengsu. NBA Asia Managing Director Scott Levy will serve as the Advisory Council’s chairman.
“The Jr. NBA program involves boys and girls, parents, educators and policy makers throughout Southeast Asia, emphasizing the importance of leading active lives, making healthy choices and sharing the positive values of sport,” said Levy. “Our commitment to the continued expansion of Jr. NBA has led to the formation of the Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council to steer and grow the program. The council members’ passion for giving back to their local communities sets them apart as the perfect group to help us bring the life changing experience of the Jr. NBA to millions of people across the region.”
“The goal of Jr. NBA is to inspire young boys and girls and develop them into healthy and well-rounded human beings,” said Mutombo. “As a lifelong advocate of sport and a believer in its ability to positively affect change, I’m excited to join the Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council to work with some of the most prominent business leaders in Asia to help move the Jr. NBA program forward.”
Jr. NBA is currently being conducted in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, reaching more than 1.4 million kids, parents and coaches. Jr. NBA is presented by Royal FrieslandCampina in Southeast Asia through its Alaska Milk, Dutch Lady, Foremost and Frisian Flag brands. Additional partners of Jr. NBA in Southeast Asia include Tahir Foundation, Spalding, Globe Telecom, CloudFone and Gatorade.
Jr. NBA is the league’s global youth basketball participation program, which has been conducted across Southeast Asia for the past two years. The program is free across its four stages: open clinics for kids ages 5-14; competitive selection camps where top boys and girls ages 10-14 are identified to participate in the National Training Camp (NTC); the NTC where the top 15 boys and girls are selected as Jr. NBA All-Stars based on the values of sportsmanship, teamwork, attitude and respect; and the NBA experience where Jr. NBA All-Stars from all five countries embark on a unique, overseas trip to watch an NBA game, receive basketball training, tour the local city and play exhibition games. The program also includes a “train the trainer” initiative designed to develop the skills of coaches and physical education teachers who return to their communities to share their knowledge with local kids. The 2016 Southeast Asia Jr. NBA schedule tipped off in the Philippines on Jan. 23 and culminates in Indonesia on Aug. 28. Details of the 2016 NBA experience trip will be announced at a later date.
The Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council
William P. Adamopoulos, CEO/Asia, Forbes Media
Bhirombhakdi Chutinant, Executive Vice President and Director, Boonrawd Brewery Co., Ltd.
Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, CEO, Westports Malaysia Sdn Bhd.
Martin Basuki Hartono, CEO, GDP Venture & Kaskus
Hiroko Morohashi, Executive Fellow, Xebio Co., Ltd
Scott Levy*, Managing Director, NBA Asia
Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Global Ambassador & Basketball Hall of Famer
Henry Nguyen, Managing General Partner, IDG Ventures Vietnam
Rachan (Butch) Reddy, Chairman, YAN Media Group
Hans Sy, President, SM Prime Philippines
Jonathan Tahir, Deputy Chairman, Mayapada Group Indonesia
(Dato’ Sri) Robin Tan Yeong Ching, Chairman and CEO of Berjaya Corporation Berhad
Dennis A. Uy, Founder, President and CEO of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines
Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, President and CEO, Alaska Milk Corporation
*Denotes Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council Chairman
