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Robert BLANCHARD (France)
Born on February 02, 1923, in Roanne.
Passed away on March 21, 2016, at the age of 93.
Nationality:
France
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Enshrined as a technical official in the FIBA Hall of Fame on September 19, 2015.

Highlights

  • Started his career as a referee for the French Basketball Federation in 1949 and officiated until 1974
  • Refereed 14 finals of the French Championship
  • Refereed hundreds of other matches in France
  • International referee from 1954 to 1974
  • Ranked among the global top ten of referees for ten years
  • Officiated eight matches at the 1956 Olympic Games.
  • Called in 236 international games :
    Refereed the Olympic Final for Men in Melbourne (1956) Refereed either at the World Championship for Men in Santiago, Chile (1959)
    Refereed at the European Championship for Men three times
    Refereed at the European Championship for Women two times
    Refereed at the pre-European Championships six times
    Called in four USA-USSR games for Men and nine for Women
    Called in one game between USA-Europe in 1972
    Refereed 35 games in the European Cup for Men’s Champions clubs and six for Women (with two Finals in 1968 & 1969)
    Refereed at the Moscow Games (1957)
    Refereed at the Maccabiah Games (1957 & 1961)
    Refereed at the Friendship Games in Dakar (1963)
    Refereed at the South Pacific Games in Noumea (1966)
    Refereed at the African Championship in Casablanca (1964) Refereed at the Mediterranean Games in Tunis (1963)
  • Member of the French Referee Technical Commission from 1950 to 1993
  • French Basketball Federation’s Technical Commissioner from 1975 to 2005
  • FIBA Technical Commissioner 71 times
  • Elected as a member of the French Basketball Academy (2004)
  • The only French referee to have officiated in an Olympic Final
  • As a player: Champion of France with As Roanne in 1948

Distinctions & Recognitions

  • FIBA Silver Whistle (1975)
  • FIBA Order of Merit (1995)
  • Received the Gold Medal from the French Basketball Federation
  • Received the “Coq d’or” from the French Basketball Federation (2008)
  • Received a Silver medal of “the Youth and Sports”