Kota Kinabalu: Forget the scoreboard — the real win for 250 Sabah students at a basketball clinic here was learning how the discipline and teamwork built on court can shape tomorrow’s leaders.
Former NBA player and Mount Vernon, Texas Mayor Greg Ostertag brought that message to the Freedom 250 Basketball Activation Clinic at ITCC Mall on Saturday, where students from SM Sains Sabah and SM Sains Lahad Datu had the opportunity to learn from his experience.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun, who officiated the programme, said Ostertag’s journey from professional basketball to public service showed how the values developed through sports could translate into leadership and community service.
“Today may be about basketball, but what you can learn through sports goes far beyond the basketball court,” he said.
Ceasar said sports taught young people to work towards common goals, remain disciplined, think strategically and bounce back when faced with setbacks.
He said these qualities would serve the students well regardless of whether they pursued careers in sports, science and technology, entrepreneurship or public service.
He urged the participants to make the most of the opportunity by taking part in the drills, asking questions and learning directly from Ostertag and Coach Chong SuChung.
The clinic also reflected growing community-level engagement between Sabah and the United States, with Ceasar expressing appreciation to the US Embassy in Malaysia for its continued partnership with the state.
He said the wider Freedom 250 Sabah programme had connected communities through sports, education, culture and other activities, including football clinics, educational programmes, film showcases, the Great American Sabah State Fair and Fun Run.
The engagement continues beyond sports, with the Kota Kinabalu International Mayors’ Dialogue 2026 taking place from Oct 10 to 14 with the support of the US Embassy.
Ceasar expressed hope that such initiatives would continue to provide Sabah’s young people with opportunities to develop their abilities, broaden their perspectives and connect with the wider world.