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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider FIBA selects first-ever female referees for World Cup

FIBA selects first-ever female referees for World Cup

Published Aug 23, 2023 11:28 pm

At A Glance

  • The International Basketball Federation (FIBA), being true to one of its advocacies which is to actively promote women empowerment, selected the first set of female referees to officiate in FIBA World Cup history.

By MARK REY MONTEJO

From women athletes taking big headlines to officials breaking barriers, the sporting world has slowly shifted to diversity in recent years.

Bonner.jpg
Amy Bonner. (Erik Shelkun/Dayton)

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA), being true to one of its advocacies which is to actively promote women empowerment, selected the first set of female referees to officiate in FIBA World Cup history.

Americans Amy Bonner and Jenna Reneau, and Mexican Blanca Burns will be making the biggest strides in the hardcourt when they join 41 other male referees scattered across the venues in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia in the Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 tournament.

Female referees play a significant role in basketball, both at the amateur and professional levels, just like their male counterparts as they are responsible for enforcing the rules of the game, ensuring fair play, and maintaining order on the court.

Bonner has been officiating since 2005. In 2021, she was the first female referee in the BIG 12 Conference in the US. The following year she became the second ref to preside in the NCAA.

Reneau started her career on a rougher path as she was selected after a rigorous process that carefully filtered 3,000 female aspirants. She debuted in the NBA in the game between the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls in 2021.

Burns, meanwhile, made her mark as the only Mexico-native to officiate in the NBA after impressing in the G-League.

Related Tags

FIBA World Cup 2023 FIBA World Cup
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