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Keeping refereeing standards high in Indian Basketball Society League

The Indian Basketball Society League (IBSL) insists on quality court management, and to carry out this to the full, they engage qualified and experienced referees.
Experienced hands are seen supervising the matches with the support of veteran table officials who have been with the league for the past decade. Earlier Rajamon Aziz, a Fiba qualified international referee, was part of the officiating team.
Filipino official Geffry Descallar is an active player in the basketball leagues here and during his leisure time, practises with the various clubs at the Dubai Municipality recreation facilities in Satwa and Al Twar.
"I have been here for the past six years and as you know the sport is a passion within the community here. Families and children take it as an opportunity for an outing when the league matches of the various Philippine events get going in the UAE," Descallar told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the third round of the IBSL during the weekend.
"I find the IBSL very competitive and I get invited like Filipino refs before to officiate the matches. The standard is quite high though the current talent pool is only among the expats and the students here. The passion among the parents who come every weekend to support the clubs and the school sides in the age group events is wonderful to see."
On the levels reached by the other expat leagues here in comparison to the Philippine basketball tourneys, he said: "With the import and invitee clauses, the Philippine competitions here, are of a higher standard. The IBSL, however, is not far behind in terms of skill and technique. Playing space is difficult for the sport here as the public courts get booked early during the weekdays and despite the absence of long workouts and training schedules, the part-timers who approach it as a recreational opportunity, have done well," he added.
"I am able to officiate at a good level thanks to BRO which is a basketball referees organisation here led by two active volunteers Richard Calliao and Jeremy N.. Both officials have kept the standard of refereeing at a good level among the expat community here," Descallar, a computer operator at an accounts department, said.