PORT MORESBY (Papua New Guinea) - Local basketball referee, Ivan Wapuan, is grateful for the opportunity in his referee debut at the FIBA U17 Oceania Championship.

All the way from Walium Station in Madang’s Usino-Bundi district, 28-year-old Wapuan said he has never refereed international matches and has enjoyed ticking this off his wish list.

“I normally ref basketball matches at home, including district games, and to be given this opportunity, I’d say it is a steppingstone for me,” Wapuan said.

“I’m actually nervous given this is my first time at an international tournament, but I believe after this championship, I’ll be able to take back the level of experience back home and improve the growth of the game.”

He said after much training prior to attending the event, he is expecting to learn new things as he progresses during the week.

“I was privileged to gain a lot of knowledge earlier in the year when the Australia Defence Force through their Sports Training Program and in partnership with the Basketball Federation PNG and FIBA visited Madang to run some training courses.  From this training, I obtained a Level 1A certificate in refereeing and then upgraded it to Level 2, where I can be able to also hold referee education courses back in my home province.”

“One thing I’d like to achieve after this championship and moving forward is to upscale my refereeing skills and be a certified FIBA referee so that I can be able to travel out of the province and or country (PNG) if and when my services are required,” he added.

Wapuan officially debuted in his first international match during day two of the FIBA U17 Oceania Championship, Australia Vs Samoa Men.

About the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championship

The 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championship will be hosted by the Basketball Federation of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby at Sir John Guise Stadium from October 2 to 6.  The Championships serve as the first step in the qualification process to the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup.  The top two placed teams at the 2023 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships qualify to the 2024 FIBA U18 Asian Championships.

FIBA - Jamie Haro