PHOENIX (Mauritius) – From 4 to 7 June, the Mauritius Basketball Federation (MBBF), in partnership with the FIBA Regional Office of Africa, organised its first ever FIBA Level 1 Referee Course, bringing together 16 participants eager to join the country's officiating ranks.
This initiative is part of the MBBF's development strategy, as the organisation seeks to increase the number of technical officials ahead of the upcoming national season, which will see more than 150 games played.
The FIBA Level 1 programme forms part of FIBA Regional Office of Africa’s training and development framework, which aims to equip national federations with qualified referees who are capable of effectively managing domestic competitions.
During the four-day course, which was directed by FIBA instructor Mathurin N’Guessan, the candidates were assessed on several key aspects of officiating, including physical fitness, knowledge of the rules, court positioning, and game management.
The course was the culmination of a preparation process that had begun several weeks earlier.
Prior to the instructor’s arrival, the aspiring referees had completed six practical sessions and three online modules to lay the necessary foundations.
Among the 16 participants were several active players, including members of the Mauritius national team, whom N’Guessan welcomed in an interview with FIBA.basketball.
“A referee must have a thorough understanding of the rules of the game, but also a strong knowledge of basketball itself. When a player becomes a referee, they already bring valuable experience of the sport. We want to encourage more players to take up officiating in order to strengthen the management of competitions. It is very encouraging to see players taking part in this course,” he explained.
Another notable aspect of the group was the presence of four women, representing a quarter of the participants. This was an encouraging sign for the continued growth of women’s officiating in Mauritius.
“We had four female participants. At FIBA, we have a program dedicated to promoting women’s officiating and we encourage federations to continue their efforts in this area. It is important to keep attracting more women and young girls to these courses. We also encouraged the women who attended to become role models and inspire other players to follow the same path,” N’Guessan said.
At the end of the four-day programme, the instructor expressed his satisfaction at the level of commitment shown by the candidates.
“The Mauritius Basketball Federation took the initiative to organize this course, and I found participants who were motivated, committed and disciplined. They remained attentive throughout the entire program. I saw promising potential that can help meet future challenges. However, this is only the beginning. The work must continue,” he underlined.
From the MBBF's perspective, the outcome was equally positive. Chairman Rudy Sylvie emphasised the strong interest generated by the inaugural course and the commitment shown by the participants.
“We are extremely pleased with the enthusiasm generated by this course. Our objective was to attract as many candidates as possible, and the response was very encouraging. These four days were intensive, but the participants remained focused and engaged from start to finish,” he concluded.
FIBA