Sun Life And Beyond Sport Collaboration Hoops+Health Program Helps More Than 14,000 Young Generations Prevent Diabetes

Sun Life Indonesia Chief Client Officer, Kah Jing Lee. (Photo: Doc. Sun Life Indonesia)

JAKARTA - This year's Hoops+Health program, which is a collaboration between Sun Life and Beyond Sport, has succeeded in helping more than 14,000 children and communities in Asia to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle.

Since its launch in September 2023, this initiative has been held in six Asian countries, namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam, with the aim of encouraging children and communities in various Asian regions to adopt an active and healthy lifestyle.

The main focus includes: expanding access to physical activities through renovating basketball courts in marginal areas to provide safe sports spaces; increasing community involvement, coaches, and Sun Life employees through various initiatives such as field inauguration, volunteer activities, and educative training; and inspiring the younger generation to be more active through free basketball sessions that are easily accessible.

Supported by Active Health Kids Global Alliance research in 2022 which revealed the low level of physical activity among the younger generation in Asia aged 6-17 years, this collaboration emphasizes the importance of access to adequate sports facilities and education related to the risk of diabetes.

To date, more than 4,500 people have taken advantage of the five renovated basketball courts, 85 coaches have received training, and more than 9,000 young people have been successfully reached. In the future, Sun Life plans to raise funds to support the management and annual maintenance of the field to ensure that the field can last a long time in the future.

"Sun Life really understands the importance of physical activity for children's development. Through Hoops+Health, we are committed to providing affordable access to quality sports facilities, training, and guidance for children and those who aspire to become athletes. Over the past year, this program has had a significant impact. We hope that the renovated fields will become the center of activity for the local community, and we will continue to strive to create a younger generation who is more active and healthy," said Sun Life Indonesia Chief Client Officer, Kah Jing Lee, in a written statement, Monday 2 September.

Fred Turner, Executive Director of Beyond Sport, said that exercise is not only useful for keeping the body healthy, but also teaches skills that can be applied in various aspects of life.

"To achieve this benefit, we need adequate infrastructure and sports facilities. Therefore, Hoops+Health is here to empower the community through sports, by providing a safe and comfortable space to learn and develop," he explained.

Since 2012, Sun Life has focused on preventing, increasing awareness, and treating diabetes as its global destination. A report in this year's Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism found the fact that diabetes that occurs at a young age is experienced by one in five adults in Asia. With diabetes now emerging as a health epidemic affecting more than half a billion people worldwide, the projected numbers will double in the next two decades, and Sun Life remains steadfast in its commitments.

Sun Life invests in projects and partnerships that encourage physical activity as a way to prevent diabetes, thus creating a healthier generation in the future. Since 2012, Sun Life has allocated a CA$52.4 million fund to fight diabetes globally.