44 Referees selected for FIBA Basketball World Cup

MIES (Switzerland) - The referees to officiate games at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, which tips off on August 25, have been announced.

For the first time in the history of FIBA's flagship event, three female referees, Amy Bonner, Blanca Burns and Jenna Reneau, have been nominated.

The World Cup, being staged in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, will have 44 referees in total, with representation from all five regions.

The average age is 40.2 years. While the eldest is 51, the youngest is 31.

There is a wealth of FIBA experience reflected in the selection, with the average being more than 11 years of FIBA experience for referees. Additionally, more than 25 referees from the list were at the previous FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019 in China, while 18 were officiating at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. The biggest amount of experience is 28 years, which is possessed by Bosnia and Herzegovina referee Ademir Zuropovic. 

Those included in the initial long list of referees for FIBA’s flagship men’s event have been through four and a half months of training with instructors and experts, working on technical, mental and physical preparation, prior to making the final selection of 44 referees.

There will be a pre-competition camp in Manila to put the finishing touches on preparation for the referees before they are dispersed to the various venues.

FIBA