A first for the PBA: Janine Nicandro is first female referee

Change has come to the oldest continuing basketball league in Asia as Janine Nicandro made her debut as a referee for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) at the opening game of the Governor’s Cup held last Friday, July 15 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

 

A FIRST FOR THE PBA. Janine Nicandro dons the black and white for the first time as a PBA referee. (Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net)

 

“Yung dito po talaga, nakaka-tense po. Nakaka-kaba, pero masaya po,” (It’s very tense and nerve-racking here in the PBA, but it’s fun) said Nicanor, a 23-year-old marketing graduate from Laguna State Polytechic University (LSPU), during a post-game interview.

When asked about possibly working in high-pressure games, she said “Nai-imagine ko na po, pero tingin ko masaya. Kailangan kong trabahuhin, pero… kaya po yan. Kakayanin po yan.” (I can already imagine it, but I think it will be fun. I know I need to work hard for it, so I will.)

She also said she was aware that they will be heavily criticized as referees but said she will take it in stride. “Kasama po yun eh. Nasabi na po sa amin na mababatikos ka, maba-bash ka so handa na po kami.” (It’s part of our job. We’ve been told that we will be criticized and bashed, but we’ll be ready.)

PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa was impressed with Nicandro, who was decisive with her calls. “We have to empower women. They’ve done a lot of progress over the last years. We have to recognize that; they are a part of our society. If the PBA is able to do that for our men, we should also be able to create programs for them,” said Narvasa.

He also said they have another female referee who will debut this season, but did not reveal any more details apart from that.

Before the game between the Meralco Bolts and Phoenix Petroleum, she trained and officiated for three years in the PBA D-League before being promoted to the PBA. According to Nicandro, it was former PBA referee Celso Rivera from her hometown of Pagsanjan that brought her into the world of officiating.

Prior to being a PBA official, she had worked in her hometown as an office employee. She was also a member of her university’s basketball varsity team, the LSPU Lakers.

 

Source: Philstar.com, InterAksyon.com, PBA on Inquirer.net, GMA News Online, BusinessWorld Online, The Manila Times, ABS-CBN Sports