GOLD COAST – The 10th biennial Pan Pacific Masters Games was held on 5 – 13 November 2016 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

More than 13,000 participants from Queensland, interstate and overseas converged on one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations to compete in one of Australia’s premier multi-sport events.

Among these thousands of participants were two seasoned international referees. Veronica Michael from Papua New Guinea and Premila Fernandes from Sri Lanka brought a combined 17 years’ experience to the Pac Pacific Masters.

Michael is based in Lae, Papua New Guinea where she has been refereeing for over 10 years now. Very eager to share her knowledge and passion for basketball, Michael coach’s younger players and referees in her home town, ensuring that the game is played the right way and enjoyed by all.

Even though she is a very experienced referee, Michael never stops seeking new opportunities to further her knowledge of the sport she loves.

“The Pan Pacific Games is a good way to learn more about basketball,” she said.

Not only an accomplished referee, Michael also works at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology as an Administrative Officer.

Since 2009, Fernandes has been refereeing at a number of different levels and competitions. Along with this year’s Pan Pacific Masters, she has previously been a member of the referee team at a past FIBA Asia U18 Women’s Championship.

Fernandes lives a very active lifestyle, combined with her many years of refereeing experience, she is also a gym manager in her hometown of Colombo.

A deep love for basketball is what keeps participants of the Pan Pacific Masters playing well in their 30s, 40s and 50s. This passion for the game is also what drives Michael and Fernandes to continually seek new opportunities to better themselves and the game they love.

FIBA