Macedonian referees and officials receive numerous FIBA nominations
Several Macedonian referees and officials received assignments in FIBA EuroCup and EuroLeague Women after meetings with FIBA Europe representatives.
North Macedonian basketball referees and officials have markedly increased their presence in FIBA-organised European club competitions this season, with a surge in nominations across the FIBA EuroCup (men and women) and the FIBA EuroLeague Women.
The rise in assignments follows a visit by senior representatives from FIBA Europe’s officials’ sector to a mandatory seminar run by the Refereeing Organization of the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia. During that visit they held a series of working meetings with the Refereeing Organization, led by its president Aliya Ferevski, and with the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia, represented by General Secretary Tomche Stojchevski.
Strong Macedonian representation in the FIBA EuroCup – men
Petar Denkovski received two delegate nominations: on 13 October he will be part of the match Genche – Kolossos in Ganja, Azerbaijan, and one day later he is appointed delegate for the Nefchi – VEF Riga meeting in Baku. Dimitar Terzovski has three delegate assignments: tomorrow evening he will officiate Trepca–Promitheas, on 14 October the Rilski Sportist – Esenler Erokspor fixture in Samokov, and on 21 October the Trepca vs Opava duel in Mitrovica. Vlado Cvetkovski is appointed delegate for Erokspor-Genche on 7 October in Istanbul. Zoran Mitrovski also holds three FIBA nominations: on 7 October in Prizren he and another Macedonian FIBA-badged referee, Aliya Ferevski, will take charge of Bashkimi–Valmiera; on 14 October he will be among the referees for Lions – Bakken Bears in Geneva; and on 20 October he is listed for Ostend – Dinamo Bucharest in Belgium. Igor Mitrovski received a nomination for 21 October as an official at Biotekno Cortez Basket – Manchester in Kocaeli, Turkey.
Presence is particularly visible in the women’s FIBA EuroCup. Zoran Mitrovski is scheduled on 15 October as part of the refereeing trio for Fribourg – Autoshped. The Refereeing Organization president Aliya Ferevski has two nominations: 15 October for Mersin – Sleza Wroclaw and 22 October for Rutronik Keltern – Ostrava in Germany. Ivan Mijalkovski received two delegations: 14 October for Olympiacos – Ferrol and 22 October for Student – Benfica in Niš; at the Niš game Petar Denkovski will be engaged as commissioner. Andrej Zlatevski is nominated for Panathinaikos – Alba Berlin on 14 October, and Ema Nikochevic is assigned on 21 October to Panserraikos – Montpellier in Serres, Greece.
North Macedonian officials are also present at the highest FIBA club level. Vlado Cvetkovski is nominated as delegate for the Emlak Spor – UMCS Lublin game on 14 October in Istanbul, marking representation in the FIBA EuroLeague.
The Basketball Federation of North Macedonia says the larger number of international nominations is both recognition of long-term work inside the Refereeing Organization and an obligation to continue investing in education, professionalisation and developing a new generation of referees and officials. Federation leaders emphasise that direct institutional cooperation with FIBA Europe — including the recent meetings and the mandatory seminar — has already produced tangible results and that they will keep working to create opportunities for Macedonian officials who deserve to operate at the highest European level.
Photo: Zafer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
