Sun Life Malaysia, a life insurance and family takaful provider, has partnered with Beyond Sport, a global organisation promoting social change through sports, to unveil the newly refurbished Kuala Ampang Basketball Court in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
This initiative, which aligns with their business purpose of promoting healthier lives, aims to foster active lifestyles and bring joy to local youths.
The project is part of the CAD $1 Million Hoops+Health programme, set to be implemented in Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Vietnam throughout 2024. This programme, by Sun Life and Beyond Sport, seeks to encourage physical activity and promote healthier lifestyles through basketball by revitalising basketball courts and offering workshops for coaches and capacity-building programmes for young players.
The official unveiling of the Kuala Ampang Basketball Court was graced by Raymond Lew, CEO and President/Country Head of Sun Life Malaysia, Jason Chan, President of the Kuala Ampang Residents Association, and representatives from Sun Life Asia and Beyond Sport. The event was attended by Sun Life Malaysia executives and employees, Kuala Ampang residents, and local basketball coaches and players.
In his speech, Raymond Lew emphasized the initiative’s role in fostering youth wellness through sports and its commitment to creating an accessible and fun environment for local youths to maintain an active lifestyle, which ultimately improves overall well-being. He also highlighted that basketball, being a great social sport, will promote healthier lifestyles and foster community building.
The initiative responds to the 2022 Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance report, jointly released by Sun Life Malaysia, Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA), and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), which gave Malaysian children a D-grade rating for overall physical activity.
This rating reflects a dire need to boost active youth lifestyles and improve national health. To enhance accessibility and safety, the court underwent comprehensive renovation, including resurfacing, repairs, repainting, and enhancements to facility assets like courtside benches, cooling fans, road safety barriers, and lighting, making it a safer and more enjoyable space for Kuala Ampang residents.
Furthermore, regional education partner ASA Foundation will conduct a coach education workshop in June to help local youth coaches improve their skills and knowledge of using basketball to promote physical health and well-being among young people. Sun Life Malaysia will also sponsor a six-week free basketball session for youths under 18 at the court, tailored to address barriers to sports participation, particularly targeting low-income communities.
“We are excited to open the new Hoops+Health basketball court at Ampang in partnership with Sun Life Malaysia, marking another milestone in our work to use sport to create positive social change and support healthy youth,” said Adam Burgess, Director of Programmes at Beyond Sport. “This refurbished court will hopefully become a hub for people of all ages, providing the community with a safer and more accessible place to play.”
Jason Chan, President of the Residents Association of Kuala Ampang, shared, “With the refurbishment, the court now looks bright, vibrant, and more importantly, it serves as a safe space to attract more young talent in the Kuala Ampang neighbourhood and surrounding areas to engage in sports. We would like to thank Sun Life for their contribution towards this community project”.
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