Nigeria FIBA graded referee, Babatunde Popoola has been listed by Africa basketball ruling body – FIBA Africa to officiate at the 26th edition of the FIBA Africa Championship for Men slated for Antananarivo, Madagascar, between August 17 and 28. He will officiate alongside 19 other international referees.
Of the 20 referees listed for the 2011 Afrobasketball, 15 are accompanying referees while five will serve as neutral referees.
Popoola was listed as Nigeria’s senior national team, D’Tigers’ accompanying referee. Other accompanying referees listed for the biggest Africa basketball tournament include; Anthony Razafindrakoto of Madagascar; Julio Carlos, Angola; Ben Ali Cisse, Cote D’Ivoire; Arnaud Kom Njilo, Cameroon; Steve Koukou-Te-Ngbandi, Central Africa and Ahmed Medhat El-Falaky of Egypt. Others are Chlif Abdelliah, Morocco; Moussa Toure , Mali; Abreu Muhimua Mozambique; Didier Shema-Maboko, Rwanda; Antonn Gomm Stacy, South Africa; Alioune Fall, Senegal; Nourou Djeri, Togo and Haykel Ksontini of Tunisia.
The five neutral referees comprising two Europeans and three Africans are Anastasios Piloidis from Greece, Matej Boltauzer a Slovenian, Vitalis Gode of Kenya, Leslie Cherubin of Mauritius and Nachid Messaoudi from Algeria.
Four match commissioners will be on duty for the championship which will produce Africa’s sole representative to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The Match
Commissioners for the championship include the Head of FIBA Africa Technical Commission Raouf Menjour of Tunisia, FIBA Africa Head of Competition, Amara Conde Fodé of Guinea, President of FIBA Africa Zone-6 Anibal Manave from Mozambique and Alain Ramanarivo from Madagascar.
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