"I am very happy today that we have Phil Handy; he is a coach that has gone very global," Ariotedjo said, according to information posted on the ministry's official website here on Tuesday.
Speaking at the ministry's media center, the minister remarked that Handy's presence in Indonesia is a blessing for national basketball because it is very rare for an NBA-level coach to share their experience with the nation.
During his visit to Jakarta, Handy will coach Indonesian basketball coaches on strengthening players' capacity.
"We must increase the coaches' capacity so that the performance of basketball players will also increase," Ariotedjo added.
He said that Indonesian basketball is currently undergoing massive development, and therefore the field needs to be improved in terms of achievements.
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Responding to a question related to whether Handy will coach the national basketball team, the minister said that the Indonesian Basketball Association (Perbasi) has discussed this and will monitor future developments before reaching a decision.
"We will see the future developments on how Phil Handy can help the Indonesian basketball development," he added.
Meanwhile, Handy said he was happy to come to Indonesia to share his knowledge of basketball.
He will hold a coaches clinic on September 25, 2024, and a coaching clinic for teenagers aged 14–18 on September 26–27 at the Gelora Bung Karno Arena.
On September 28, Handy will attend a meet and greet and a talk show at OCBC Space in BSD, Tangerang.
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Translator: Aloysius L, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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