15 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA All-Stars and the Jr. NBA & Jr. WNBA Coach of the Year Winners to Join All-Stars from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to Attend NBA Global Games Beijing 2014.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Alaska Milk today announced that year’s Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA All-Stars will travel to China to attend NBA Global Games Beijing 2014 presented by ZTE featuring the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 15 at the MasterCard Center. The opportunity to watch a live NBA game is part of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program’s commitment to providing its top participants with an enriching NBA Experience. Now in its seventh consecutive year, the program marks another milestone in Alaska Milk’s efforts to improve the health of children in Philippines through the power of nutrition and sport. The All-Stars will also be joined by 2 local coaches—the Jr. NBA Coach of the Year and the first-ever Jr. WNBA Coach of the Year winner.
The 2014 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA All-Stars are comprised of 10 boys and 5 girls from Manila, Dagupan, Cebu, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, and Surigao, and were chosen competitively out of a pool of more than 2,000 aspiring basketball champions following the 2014 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines National Training Camp. The All-Stars from the Philippines will join more than 50 other Jr. NBA All-Stars from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to attend NBA Global Games Beijing 2014 presented by ZTE, which concludes the five preseason games NBA teams will play in four countries this October as part of NBA Global Games 2014. The All-Stars will also play exhibition games against local basketball teams and visit historical landmarks as part of their visit to Beijing.
“Through our partnership with the NBA and its Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program, we are able to holistically address a child’s development; nourishment through the goodness of milk coupled with encouragement through the power of basketball, for children to lead active, healthy lifestyles,” said Wilfred Steven Uytengsu, President and CEO of Alaska Milk Corporation. “These 15 exceptional Filipino athletes who we are sending to Beijing are the embodiment of our aspirations to keep children in their winning form.”
Over the past years, the Jr. NBA program has successfully fostered healthy consciousness among children and families through the combination of proper nutrition and active lifestyle. It continues to be an effective platform in activating Alaska Milk’s Nutrition. Action. Champion. initiative that helps fight against the increasing number of overweight and undernourished children in the country. In the 2011 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), it was revealed that 3 out of 10 children aged 5-10 years were underweight while 8 out of 100 children of the same age were overweight, making malnutrition and obesity two of the most pressing nutritional problems in the Philippines today.
The partnership between Jr. NBA and Alaska Milk first started in 2007 reaching 16 schools in year 1. Since then, the program has reached more than 1,000 schools, touching the lives of more than 60,000 children, parents and coaches. The success of the program for the past seven years in the Philippines as well as the findings of SEANUTS (Southeast Asian Nutrition Survey) served as inspiration for Alaska Milk’s parent company, Royal FrieslandCampina (FrieslandCampina), to extend the partnership through a multiyear agreement with the NBA. The partnership also marked the launch of FrieslandCampina’s Drink. Move. Be Strong initiative across the region in Indonesia, Malaysia Thailand, and Vietnam. With this joint initiative, and through its local brands, FrieslandCampina encourages parents and children to drink a glass of milk and have one hour of sports outdoors; two simple things that when done daily, can help Southeast Asian children become stronger everyday.
Fans can visit the official event website at www.jrnba.asia/philippines
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