The 12 new senior referees together with the national referees Homer Balbin, William Manaois, Hernan Flores and Aristotle Fernandez during the awarding rites led by PIBAQ President Pat Carido and PIBAQ official Vergel Limbitco.

 

Photo by: Ronnie Castro

 

DOHA:Four Filipino national basketball referees here were awarded with a higher level of license by the Philippine basketball governing body that would give them the privilege to umpire the hard-court in the big leagues back in their country.

The Samahan ng Basketbol ng Pilipinas through its foreign authorized body Pinoy Basketball of Qatar (PIBAQ) has issued the new national license, the first ever in the Middle East to Homer Balbin, William Manaois, Hernan Flores and Aristotle Fernandez during simple rites over the weekend at Al Gharafa Training Gym.

The licenses were awarded after the four who are also officials of Qatar Filipino Basketball Referees Association hurdled the review and seminar for national and senior referees held last April 19, 2013 at the Al Gahrafa Gym.

“The new licenses for the four QFBR officials are just one step close for them to become international referees where they can whistle in FIBA-regulated international competitions,” said Pat Carido, President of PIBAQ.

Filipino referees under PIBAQ earlier underwent a SBP licensee accreditation seminar and exam in the Middle East countries covering Doha, Bahrain and Dubai on April 5-6, 2012 where Manaois came out on top of the batch.

For getting the national level licenses, the four QBFR officials are now allowed to teach new graduates of the senior referee category and can officiate the hard-court for big commercial leagues like Filoil without having to go through a workout.

Apart from the four, 12 other QFBR members were accorded with a senior referee status including Gerald Gapas, Rolando Toribio, Romeo Arellano, Victor Argonzola, Gregorio Bayote, Joseph Catarungan, Fernando Desder, Warlito Laput, Renato Quimado and Glenn Layson. Another referee Romando Jacobe of the ABA group was also awarded.

Carido and another PIBAQ official Vergel Limbitco led the awarding rites to confer them as new graduates.