The United States (US) Embassy in the Philippines held a youth basketball clinic and leadership forums in Alaminos City, Pangasinan, under the Department of State’s Sports Envoy Program on Tuesday.

This initiative strengthens people-to-people ties between Filipinos and Americans through their shared love for sports, while inspiring the next generation of leaders, said Deputy Director of Public Engagement, US Embassy in the Philippines George Mesthos, in an interview.

“And that way we’re going to promote leadership through sports with the future generation here in the Philippines. And build US-Philippine friendship for 80 years and beyond. I have to say that the Philippines, everybody knows how much you all love basketball. So, it was an easy, easy concept for us to bring such amazing champions from the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the WNBA,” he said.

American basketball pros Sam Vincent, National Basketball Association (NBA) champion with the Boston Celtics in 1986, and Taj McWilliams-Franklin, a two-time Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) champion with the Detroit Shock in 2008 and the Minnesota Lynx in 2011, showcased American excellence in basketball and empowered young Filipino athletes and leaders.

The two envoys who transitioned to coaching following their successful professional careers as players led the basketball clinics for 25 male and 25 female high schoolers, and leadership seminars for the Sangguniang Kabataan members in Alaminos City.

“One of the areas (where the) US works immensely is supporting the SK because they are the future of the Philippines, and they have an opportunity in the present, and the values they obtain from basketball and other sports overall can definitely be applied to meeting rooms, the board rooms,” Mesthos said.

Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste, in a separate interview, thanked the US Embassy for the event.

“Basketball keeps us united, it keeps us together,” he said.

Maricar Mendez, one of the participants, said she learned a lot about the discipline of basketball and was inspired to be an even better player.

‘I hope, just like the rest of us, to be able to get a scholarship through playing basketball,” she said.

The US Department of State’s Sports Envoy Program sends passionate, inspirational professional athletes to engage communities across the world.

The program promotes people-to-people ties and empowers the next generation of athletes, as leaders through sports.

Since its launch in 2005, more than 300 envoys representing 24 different sports have traveled on behalf of the US government to deliver impactful programs and strengthen bilateral relations. (PNA)