FIBA Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Sports & Competition Head Eric Altamirano (3rd from left) with his staff (Photo courtesy of SBP)
MANILA – The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup 2023 will have all its referees trained and prepared to the utmost, as assured by a Pre-Competition Clinic (PCC) from Aug. 19 to 22 in Quezon City.
The training program hosted by Seda Hotel (morning sessions) and Victoria Sports Tower (afternoon sessions) will make sure that 44 game officials will be in tip-top shape and of sound mind with under a week to go before the world meet.
"Through our PCC, we hope that our referees will be equipped with everything they need to call games as correctly and fairly as possible," FIBA Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Sports & Competition Head Eric Altamirano said in a news release on Friday.
FIBA Head of Refereeing Carl Jungerbrand and Refereeing Consultant Tomas Rimkus will join Altamirano in leading several seminars, drills, and practice games that aim to ready game officials both physically and mentally for the three-week long tournament featuring 32 teams.
After the four-day clinic, 11 referees will be assigned to each of the four venues: the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City/Philippine Arena in Bulacan (only for Opening Day), the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, the Okinawa Arena in Japan, and the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.
"I, along with the rest of the FIBA LOC, am looking forward to how our well-trained referees will help the FIBA World Cup 2023 go down in history as a record-breaking event," Altamirano said.
Fans can be first-hand witnesses to the readiness of referees in the FIBA World Cup 2023 by availing of tickets for Smart Araneta Coliseum games at ticketnet.com.ph, as well as for SM Mall of Asia Arena games at smtickets.com.
3 female referees
For the first time in the history of the FIBA's flagship event, three female referees, Amy Bonner, Blanca Burns and Jenna Reneau, have been nominated for the FIBA World Cup scheduled to tip off on Aug. 25.
The FIBA announced on Wednesday the selection of 44 referees who will be dispersed to various venues after a pre-competition camp in Manila to put the finishing touches on preparation for them.
The referees, with an average age of about 40, generally have more than 11 years of FIBA experience.
The 2023 FIBA World Cup will be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, marking the first time in history that the event is hosted by multiple countries. (with reports from Xinhua/PNA)
