US Embassy Kuala Lumpur, SEARCCT launch Sepadu programme for youngsters
KUALA LUMPUR - The United States (US) Embassy here, incollaboration with The Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), today launched the Sports in Enhancing and Promoting Authentic Diversity for Unity (Sepadu) programme to cultivate positive social skills among youngsters.
The programme was launched by Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin at the Malaysian Basketball Association's (MABA) premises here.
Speaking to reporters at the event Mohamad said the Sepadu programme is a proactive effort to demonstrate the significance of sports like basketball to young people, especially as it helps them cultivate positive social skills such as teamwork, trust, and mutual respect through sports diplomacy. He said, the US Embassy here has presented three US Sports Envoys who are Scooter Christensen and Cherelle George, from the Harlem Globetrotters, and retired women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Chinny Nwagbo to headline the exciting line-up of activities that will take place here and in Sabah. "(The programme) will help them (the youth) cultivate positive social skills such as teamwork, trust and mutual respect.
"I am hopeful that the activities planned throughout this programme, such as the basketball sports clinics, talks, and community engagement sessions will nurture young Malaysians to be positive role models, just like their favourite sporting icons,” he said.
The Sepadu programme will bring the three ‘icons’, Christensen, George and Nwagbo to conduct practices and exhibition matches, as well as engage in dialogue with schools, youth associations and the media to demonstrate how sports can be utilised as a positive outlet for potential at-risk youth.
The programme will be held here today untill tomorrow and in Sabah this Thursday and Friday. - BERNAMA
