NBA FIT, the global basketball league’s comprehensive health and wellness program that encourages physical activity and healthy living for children and families through programs, events, and products, ended its nine-day run at the SM Mall of Asia Sunday (August 15) with more fitness challenges, dance classes, running lessons, urban fitness training, nutrition and hydration seminars and basketball clinics presented by Gatorade.
Besides the increased appreciation of Metro Manilans for fitness and a healthy lifestyle – based on the attendance in NBA FIT events – NBA FIT Week also appeared to produce more Pinoy Miami Heat fans, thanks to the excitement that Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra created in malls, schools, sporting events and San Pablo City, his mother’s hometown from August 6 to 12.
Spoelstra, an NBA FIT team member since a year ago, preached the fitness and healthy lifestyle gospel in malls, UAAP schools, in print, broadcast and online media; even on his out of town trip to San Pablo City. Kids and youth who attended the last day of FIT Week sported Miami Heat playing shirts and t-shirts and declared Spoelstra’s team as their favorite NBA team.
“I am excited to return to the Philippines to promote the importance of healthy living to Filipino kids and their families. A healthy lifestyle and conditioning are essential to good performance on the court and out of it,” Spoelstra said.
Following the tradition of NBA events held so far in the country, participation to NBA FIT events is completely free. The event was so successful that Ed Winkle, NBA Asia’s Senior Director of Business Development and Marketing Partnerships announced that NBA FIT would definitely be back in Manila in 2011. “It will be on a bigger scale next year,” he said.
Last Sunday, winners of the NBA FIT Fitness Challenge and the NBA basketball game called Dribble, Dish, Swish were awarded their prizes, which included free tickets to the forthcoming NBA Asia Challenge on August 27 at the Araneta Coliseum.
“NBA FIT is an excellent way to encourage kids to devote their time to active sports like basketball. I like the idea that the NBA has defined fitness not just in terms of exercising, but also eating right and choosing a healthy lifestyle,” said Grace Gacosta, a Dribble, Dish, Swish winner. Other winners were: Michael Pingol of Congressional High School in Cavite, Dexter Agabin, a business man from Quezon City; and Leolet Peralta from Las Piñas, who aims to play in the collegiate league after high school.
Official partners of the NBA FIT Week are Gatorade, Head & Shoulders, and Summit Drinking Water. Media partners are Basketball TV, Men’s Health Magazine, Yahoo! Philippines and Wave 89.1. Partners in sport include Fitness First, Run Rio and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Venue partners are SM Mall of Asia and Marriott Manila. Community partners such as the Department of Health, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) under the Department of Science and Technology, and UNICEF are also endorsing the program.(pr)
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