Filipino top-tier ref in FIBA Asia

CHANGSHA – Along with Gilas Pilipinas, two Filipino referees were top performers in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship here.

Ferdinand “Bong” Pascual was a top-tier who should’ve called the shots in the final game if Gilas Pilipinas wasn’t involved in the match.

Ricor Buaron was the other Filipino in the pool of refs that officiated the 16-nation, 11-day meet.

“I’m so happy I’m not in final because it means our national team is the one in it,” said Pascual, a former University of Baguio Cardinal and former PBA ref rising to be a top international basketball umpire.

He’s among the leading refs here, coming from his stint in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain and in the recent FIBA U-19 World Championship in Greece.

In the U-19 world joust, Pascual worked a game all the to the semifinal round. He officiated the US-Greece semis game before the Americans beat Croatia in the gold-medal game.

“That’s why our chiefs here had high expectation one me. There’s a little pressure for me to perform well,” said Pascual.

In Spain last year, Pascual was the first Filipino ref to work on the men’s world basketball championship for the first time in a long time.

He’s one of four from Asia that made the 38-man officiating roster for the Spanish world meet.

In the final day of competition here, he's relegated to the Jordan-Palestine duel for ninth place with Gilas Pilipinas playing China in the finale.