Hoops + Health basketball festival attracts 150 youths

July 9, 2026

Healthcaretoday, community basketball festival, basketball tournament, KL Basketball, basketball life, basketball, Sun Life Malaysia, Beyond Sports, Jungle Cats Basketball Academy, Nicol David Organization, USJ20 Basketball Club,

Youth participants in action during the 3x3 competition at the Hoops + Health community basketball festival.

A total of 150 youths came together for a day of basketball, teamwork and healthy competition at the Hoops + Health Community Basketball Festival 2026, marking the third year of Sun Life Malaysia and Beyond Sport’s efforts to promote youth wellbeing through sport.

The festival brought together youths from across the community for a basketball clinic for participants aged 12 and below, as well as a 3x3 tournament for youths aged 17 and below. Beyond the competition, the event encouraged young people to stay active, build confidence and connect with their peers through sport.

Launched in 2023, Hoops + Health is a regional youth empowerment initiative by Sun Life and global sport for development foundation Beyond Sport that uses basketball to address rising sedentary behavior among young people. The program currently operates in six markets across Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

In Malaysia, Hoops + Health has grown steadily over the past three years. The initiative first revitalized the Kuala Ampang community basketball court and has since directly impacted more than 400 youths and coaches through free six-month basketball and coaching programs. Through trained coaches delivering activities within their own communities, the program has also indirectly reached more than 3,000 youths nationwide.

The program is supported by local partners including Jungle Cats Basketball Academy, Nicol David Organization and USJ20 Basketball Club, which play an important role in delivering community based basketball activities and youth engagement program.

Across Asia, Sun Life has committed CAD1.5 million towards the 2025–2026 Hoops + Health program, supporting program delivery, coach education, facility improvements and community based initiatives. Through this investment, the program aims to impact 45,000 lives during the current program cycle.

The initiative comes at a critical time. According to Sun Life’s 2022 Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance report, fewer than 20% of Malaysian children and adolescents meet the World Health Organization’s recommendation of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. Malaysia received a D-grade for overall physical activity, with participation levels particularly low among urban and lower-income communities. The report also found that girls are significantly less active than boys.

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