JR. NBA PHILIPPINES PRESENTED BY ALASKA TO INSPIRE NATIONWIDE YOUTH BASKETBALL PARTICIPATION

“Jr. NBA has provided world-class basketball instruction to communities across the country and produced a roster of athletes competing both on the local and international stage. We are grateful for our partnership with Alaska, which supports our mission of instilling the core values of our game and promoting an active lifestyle among youth in the Philippines.” ~Carlo Singson, NBA Philippines Managing Director

“We are proud that Jr. NBA Philippines has established itself as one of the country’s premier youth basketball programs and shaped well-rounded athletes including Aljon Mariano, Kiefer Ravena, Kobe Paras, Kyla Flores and Rozie Amatong who inspire Filipino youth to fulfill their potential. As partners of the NBA, Alaska Milk is committed to serving more Filipino children and families with affordable nutrition and providing first-rate training to guide their pursuit of becoming champions in life.” ~Blen Fernando, Alaska Milk Corporation Marketing Director

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, Jan. 18, 2017 – Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska returns this year to the Philippines from Jan. 20-May 14 as part of the league’s effort to encourage youth basketball participation.  

Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 to select eight boys and eight girls as Jr. NBA All-Stars

Online Registration Now Live at www.jrnba.asia/philippines

Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation program for boys and girls, teaches participants the fundamental skills and core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.  In addition, Jr. NBA Philippines will introduce a court refurbishment initiative that will revitalize a community court through the NBA Cares platform.

The Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska is free and open to boys and girls ages 10-14 and is comprised of four stages: skills clinics in schools and communities, Regional Selection Camps, a National Training Camp and an NBA experience trip.  

The skills clinics will be held nationwide from January through April with stops in Bacolod, Batangas, Cagayan De Oro, Cavite, Cebu, Metro Manila and Subic.  The Regional Selection Camps will be held in Cagayan De Oro (Feb. 11-12), Lucena (Feb. 25-26), Cebu (March 11-12) and Metro Manila (April 1-2), with the top 37 boys and 37 girls advancing to the National Training Camp in Manila on May 12-14, which will feature an NBA and WNBA player or legend.  The program will culminate with the selection of 16 Jr. NBA All-Stars, comprised of eight boys and eight girls, who will embark on an overseas NBA experience trip with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia.

Below is a look at the Jr. NBA in the Philippines By The Numbers:

• 133,000 –  The Jr. NBA Philippines Facebook page has more than 133,000 followers.
• 57,000 – More than 57,000 players have participated in the Jr. NBA Philippines.
• 3,000 – More than 3,000 coaches have participated in the Jr. NBA Philippines.
• 94 –  94 Jr. NBA All-Stars have been selected.
• 64 – Jr. NBA clinics have been conducted in 64 municipalities and cities across the Philippines.
• 10 – 10 current and former NBA and WNBA players have participated in the Jr. NBA Philippines: Tina Thompson, Ruth Riley, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, B.J. Armstrong, A.C. Green, Luc Longley, Muggsy Bogues, Gordon Hayward, Nerlens Noel and Norris Cole.
• 2 –  Two Jr. NBA Philippines alumni, Aljon Mariano and Raphael Banal, are currently playing in the Philippine Basketball Association.
• 1 – One Jr. NBA Philippines alumnus, Kobe Paras, plays for Creighton University, an NCAA Division I team.

The 2017 edition of Jr. NBA Philippines will begin the search for the Jr. NBA Coach of the Year Jan. 20 in Manila, led by Jr. NBA Head Coaches Craig Brown and Chris Sumner with Alaska Power Camp Coach Jeff Cariaso.  Fourteen Jr. NBA coaches will be selected as finalists and trained at the National Training Camp, with two Jr. NBA Coaches of the Year awarded with an NBA experience trip. 

Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska continues to promote proper nutrition and an active lifestyle, serving as an effective platform in implementing Alaska Milk’s NUTRITION.ACTION.CHAMPION. program that helps address the issue of overweight and undernourished children in the Philippines.

CloudFone, Gatorade, Globe Telecom and Panasonic serve as Official Partners of the Jr. NBA in the Philippines, while Spalding is a Supporting Partner.  ABS-CBN Sports + Action, Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV are the Official NBA Broadcasters of the Jr. NBA in the Philippines. 

The Jr. NBA program is free and open to boys and girls ages 10-14.  Coaches and participants can now register online at www.jrnba.asia/philippines, where the program terms and conditions can be found.  

Fans can also follow Jr. NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines.  For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines).

To learn more about the Alaska Milk Corporation, visit www.alaskamilk.com and www.playph.com.

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About the NBA

The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featured a record 113 international players from 41 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com and the NBA App, which achieved record viewership and traffic during the 2015-16 season.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 1.3 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

About Alaska Milk

Alaska Milk recognizes the need of Filipino children for proper nutrition.  According to 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.  Alaska Milk is committed to help provide proper nutrition through its leading brands, Alaska Powdered Milk Drink and Alaska Chocolate Powdered Milk Drink.  It contains 20+ essential nutrients that help children reach their full growth potential.  Aside from proper nutrition, an active lifestyle is needed in order to shape and nurture healthier children.  Because of this, Alaska Milk encourages children to “go out and play” through its NUTRITION. ACTION. CHAMPION. programs: Alaska Basketball and Football Power Camps and Cups, Alaska IronKids Triathlon, Alaska Family Run and Alaska Cycle Philippines.  At the same time, Alaska Milk has a professional basketball team, the 14-time PBA champion, Alaska Aces, which continues to inspire the youth to become future champions who are guided by positive values.  Finally, Alaska Milk partners with excellent local and international organizations who share the same objectives, vision, and values namely the Philippine Basketball Association, National Basketball Association, World Triathlon Corporation, Cycle Asia, Makati and Alabang Football Schools and Sunrise Events, Incorporated.

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Contacts

Jandric Lim, NBA Philippines, +632-795-2444, jlim@nba.com

Tessa Jazmines, NBA Philippines PR, +632-929-4726, tessa@larcandasset.com 

Blen M. Fernando, Alaska Milk Corporation, +632-840-4500, BMFernando@alaskamilk.com

Atty. Santi A. Polido, Alaska Milk Corporation, +632-840-4500, SAPolido@alaskamilk.com