By CARLO ANOLIN
PBA supervisor of referees and technical head Ferdinand “Bong” Pascual is set to make history after making it into the officiating crew for the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s a great honor and wonderful gift. I’m celebrating my birthday in Tokyo. Eto na talaga ang aking last hurrah dahil ‘di na ako bumabata,” Pascual, who will turn 51 during the Olympic span from July to August, said as quoted by the PBA’s official website.
“This Olympics is my last hurrah because of my age, mahirap nang mag-prepara, and because of my commitment with the PBA.”
With the nomination, Pascual, the PBA’s referees chief since 2018, will become the first Filipino basketball referee to officiate in back-to-back Olympics since he took part in the 2016 Rio Games.
The Nueva Ecija-native is also one of the only five Asian referees to call the shots in officiating.
Prior to the Tokyo Games, Pascual will join the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria, Canada from June 29 to July 4.
Aside from the Olympics, the 50-year-old Pascual has improved his resume over the years after taking charge in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain and its 2019 edition in China.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, for his part, kept it short but sweet for his prized official and said, “Okay ‘yon.”
