Local referees accredited by FIBA

From: www.barbadosadvocate.com
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TWO more Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA) referees have been certified by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) after completing a referees clinic in Trinidad last month.

Andrew Mayers and Rene Batson are the latest Barbadian referees to be accredited by FIBA, which would now make them available for selection to referee any international FIBA tournament, including the Olympics and the FIBA World Championship.

The 37-year-old Mayers has 18 years of experience in refereeing local basket ball while Batson, 29 years of age, has been a referee for the last five years.

The younger Batson was grateful for the experience that he gained at the clinic but reasoned the tests were a bit formidable.

We were here at home preparing for it but it was still challenging. The refereeing part was good, but you had to be perfect so it called for you to throw out some of the habits you had from before, lamented Batson.

Mayers was also thankful for the opportunity to attend the clinic and added that he learnt many things that referees should and shouldnt do, while realising there might have been calls he did not make in the past that he needed to blow now.

The FIBA accredited clinic for the Americas region, which was conducted by Lubomir Kotleba and Frederick Wong, comprised of a written test, a physical test and actual in-game refereeing.