HI-SMART MULTIVITAMINS AND NBA JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP YOUTH BASKETBALL IN THE PHILIPPINES

HI-SMART MULTIVITAMINS AND NBA JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP YOUTH BASKETBALL IN THE PHILIPPINES

- Jr. NBA Program Expands to Davao and will reach a record 300 Schools and 30,000 Students, Coaches and Parents Nationwide -

MANILA, December 5, 2009 – The Jr. NBA Philippines program presented by Hi-Smart Multivitamins tipped off with an NBA Cares basketball clinic at the Marikina Heights Gym in Manila today. The program, which is part of NBA Cares, the league’s global social responsibility program, demonstrates the continued efforts of the NBA and New Marketlink Pharmaceutical Corporation, makers of Hi-Smart Multivitamins, to develop youth basketball and promote the importance of sportsmanship, health and nutrition.

This year, the program will be offered in the National Capital Region, Visayas and now Davao, and will reach a record 300 schools and benefit approximately 30,000 students, parents and coaches. Starting today, local school coaches and Filipino boys ages 12 to 14 can register for the program for free through the Jr. NBA event website www.nba.com/jrnba/philippines.

The Jr. NBA initiative was introduced in the Philippines in 2007, and grew from 16 schools the first year to 200 schools last year.

At today’s tip-off ceremony, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Legends Ronnie Magsanoc and Paul Ryan Gregorio, the coaches appointed to lead the Jr. NBA program, conducted a basketball clinic for 50 underprivileged students from various Marikina public schools, an area that was affected by typhoon Ondoy. Through the Jr. NBA S.T.A.R. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, positive Attitude, and Respect, the clinic provided hope and encouragement to the students and their families. Members of the 2008-09 Jr. NBA Philippine All-Star team assisted Coach Magsanoc and Coach Gregorio in the basketball clinic as well. The basketball court was also refurbished under the NBA Cares program.

“The Jr. NBA initiative marks our continuous effort with the NBA to develop youth basketball and to promote a healthy lifestyle to the next generation,” said Francis Z. Gomez, M.D., Chief Operating Officer of New Marketlink Pharmaceutical Corporation. “The expanded and comprehensive program teaches basketball fundamentals, fitness and nutrition and will provide an essential foundation for the development of our future basketball players in the country, and to properly educate kids and their parents and coaches on how to meet the kids’ nutritional requirements, Hi-Smart will conduct seminars at the various Jr. NBA venues”

“We thank our partners, especially Hi-Smart Multivitamins, for their unwavering support and commitment to developing youth basketball in the Philippines,” said Scott Levy, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of NBA Asia. “In partnership with the coaches, parents, and educators, Jr. NBA will help provide these student-athletes with the tools to succeed both on and off the court.”
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2009 Jr. NBA Philippines Presented By Hi-Smart Multivitamins Announcement
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As the presenting partner, Hi-Smart Multivitamins will conduct seminars at the various Jr. NBA schools to educate children, their parents and coaches, on how to meet children’s nutritional requirements. The effort is also supported by the Official Sports Drink Gatorade, Official Broadcast Partner Basketball TV, Official Automobile Partner Mitsubishi Motors, Official Supplier Spalding, and the Department of Education.

The 2009-2010 program is comprised of three stages that will culminate in the Jr. NBA national training camp, scheduled from April 16 to 18, 2010 in Manila. The eight campers who exhibit superior basketball ability and who best embody the S.T.A.R. values will be named to the Jr. NBA Philippine All-Star Team and rewarded with special NBA experiences throughout the year.

Details of each stage of the program are as follows:

 Jr. NBA School Program (Jan 16 to Feb 28): Jr. NBA Philippines Ambassador and Head Coach, Frank Lopez , who led Jr. NBA camps, clinics and program initiatives in the U.S., will conduct clinics to train more than 100 local coaches in Manila on Jan. 16, Cebu, Jan. 18 and Davao, Jan. 20 so they will be able to conduct their own Jr. NBA program in their schools. School tryouts will also be conducted in selected schools in each city. Youngsters who are unable to attend the school tryouts will have an opportunity to attend the open clinics, conducted by Jr. NBA-appointed coaches for three consecutive weekends starting Feb. 6 in Manila. The top participants will be invited to the next phase of the program.

 Jr. NBA Regional Selection Camps (March 17 to 21): The regional selection camps will be conducted in Cebu on March 7, Davao, March 14 and Manila, March 21. The top 300 children from the school program and open clinics will be invited to participate in each regional selection camp. The top 40 participants will be selected to the Jr. NBA national training camp in Manila.

 Jr. NBA National Training Camp (April 16 to 18): The top 40 young players from around the country will be invited to participate in the three-day camp and the eight best campers will be selected to form the Jr. NBA Philippine All-Star Team.

For more information, please visit the Jr. NBA Philippines website: www.nba.com/jrnba/philippines.

About Hi-Smart Multivitamins and New Marketlink
Hi-Smart Multivitamins is marketed by New Marketlink Pharmaceutical Corporation, one of the leading national pharmaceutical companies in the Philippines. New Marketlink seeks to become the preferred marketing partner of a variety of international healthcare companies in providing Filipinos with specialized, high quality and value-for-money medicines and health products.

New Marketlink Pharmaceutical Corporation, fueled and propelled by the holding company, TAO Corporation, is poised to undertake bold moves to further establish the new company as a respected leader in the pharmaceutical industry and become a valuable component of TAO Corporation’s mission of building communities and people.

New Marketlink supports the Jr. NBA program by providing Hi-Smart Multivitamins products which assist in the physical and mental development of kids and teenagers who want to achieve their basketball dreams and to help them become a Jr. NBA S.T.A.R. on and off the court.


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About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach is also displayed in the 83 international players from 36 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $115 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 440 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.

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Issued by NBA Asia, Limited. For more information, please contact:
NBA
Ip Kam Hung Phone: 852-2843 9628 E-mail: khip@nba.com

Larc&Asset PR
Tessa Jazmines Phone: 63-917 526 1369 E-mail: tessa@larcandasset.com