Basketball referees training camp kicks off with 40 officials

Muscat: The Basketball Referees Training Camp officially got underway on Thursday at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher, organised by the Referees Committee of the Oman Basketball Association (OBA) in coordination with the Asian Basketball Federation. The camp will run until January 31 and features the participation of 40 male and female referees, as part of the association’s efforts to enhance the competence of local officials and refine their technical and officiating skills.
The programme is supervised by Asian lecturer Mohammed al Omairi of Kuwait and combines both theoretical and practical components aimed at improving refereeing performance and keeping officials up to date with the latest amendments and developments in the laws of the game.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ahmed al Khusaibi, Chairman of the Referees Committee at the OBA, stressed that officiating camps represent a key pillar in raising referees’ technical standards and preparing them to reach elite levels. He noted that achieving such standards requires continuous effort, learning, and sustained physical, mental and technical preparation.
He explained that the camp includes specialised sessions on self-development, three-person mechanics, foul recognition, and enhancing referees’ decision-making memory, in addition to daily discussions and analysis of friendly matches held alongside the camp to strengthen practical on-court experience.
Al Khusaibi added that the committee is keen to diversify its development programmes to maintain the high standards of Omani referees and strengthen their international presence, following the example of several officials who have represented Oman at continental events. He affirmed that this approach will continue in line with the rapid development of domestic basketball competitions.
Meanwhile, lecturer Mohammed al Omairi has begun conducting morning and evening sessions covering the latest rule updates, the implementation of the Instant Replay System (IRS), officiating mechanics, game management, time management, handling match pressure, and mental and physical readiness.
The practical component also includes training in individual officiating techniques (IOT), foul and misconduct criteria and video match analysis, as part of efforts to provide an integrated training environment that prepares referees to manage games efficiently and compete confidently in regional and international tournaments.