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asketball enthusiasts and parents whose children love the sport have a reason to be happy as the United States’ National Basketball Academy has just opened a training school in Indonesia.

With a three-level curriculum, The National Basketball Academy Indonesia (TNBA Indonesia) is open to kids as young as five years old and schoolchildren of different ages, as well as professional athletes and young Indonesian talents.

“Soccer schools are everywhere but not basketball schools, whereas enthusiasm for basketball is quite big in Indonesia,” TNBA Indonesia’s managing partner, Dony Munaf, said in a press conference on Thursday.

The newly launched TNBA Indonesia claims to be the only TNBA-affiliated institution in Indonesia.

“We can see there’s a need to motivate children and to help develop new, young talent,” Dony said. “One thing that I like about TNBA is the way they approach kids.”

He said TNBA Indonesia, which opened its registration on Thursday, will not only teach children about technique but also about character building.

“If you’re successful on court, we want you to be successful in life too by working hard, being a leader and being able to overcome adversity,” TNBA cofounder Shane Kline-Ruminski said of TNBA’s first operation in Asia.

Ruminski said his love of helping develop kids through basketball, coupled with the enthusiasm that Dony had shown in the US, prompted TNBA to finally expand its operations onto Indonesia’s courts.

“We love teaching kids and the way we help kids is great. There’s a better way to teach children … we want to pass this on,” he said. “We want to [help] develop Indonesia’s basketball.”

TNBA is said to be collaborating with nine NBA teams: Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic.

TNBA Indonesia is due to commence its classes next month, with a registration fee of Rp 1 million (US$104) followed by payments of Rp 1 million per month for a one-year module, according to Dony.

Classes would take place on Saturday or Sunday mornings at the Hoops Arena on Jl. Kemang Raya and in Pondok Indah, both in South Jakarta, he said.

Small-scale tournaments will also be arranged to sharpen students’ skills.

“We are offering 30 percent discounts on registration during the next few months. Anyone who loves basketball can register,” Dony said.

“For an introduction to what the classes may look like, we will be holding a four-day camp on Dec. 17-20 in Hoops Arena in Kemang.”

Justin Wingard, who played professionally in Europe and collegiately at Lynn University in Florida, has been appointed TNBA Indonesia’s program director and coach.

“[TNBA Indonesia] is a great opportunity for [Indonesian] basketball players. We will help with whatever they want to achieve,” Wingard said.

— JP/Mustaqim Adamrah