OFFICIATING

FIBA Europe Head Of Operations Miguel Betancor (middle) and Alan Richardson (right) address participants at the St Petersburg referee clinic

The FIBA Europe Referees Department's Russian mission continued last week, with a clinic in St. Petersburg, from 7th to 8th October.

The clinic, which was organised by the Russian Basketball Federation Referee Committee, the St. Petersburg Regional Federation and the St. Petersburg Referee Committee, was conducted by FIBA Europe Head of Operations Miguel Betancor and Alan Richardson from the FIBA Europe Referee Department.

The event consisted of classroom and practical sessions on Game Management, 3-Person Officiating, elements of the 2011 FIBA Europe Teaching Materials and practical officiating of the Student Super Cup by the referees in attendance.

The clinic's 55 participating referees and commissioners came from Russia, Belarus and Estonia.

The St. Petersburg event is part of an on-going partnership between the Russian Federation and the FIBA Europe Referee Department with future clinics planned in Kazan and Vladivostok.

At the end of September Miguel Betancor attended a clinic for Russian referees in Moscow.

"Russian teams have achieved some great results in European tournaments this year and that's wonderful news for basketball in the country but that adds to the responsibility that the same higher standards are applied to all aspects of the sport here, including officiating," Mr. Betancor stated.