Local basketball referee to officiate SA finals
Spira Tlhankane | Friday September 4, 2015 11:27
Phokoje, who started officiating in the basketball league earlier this year, will officiate the three-game play-off as the Egoli Magic and Duzi Royals wrestle each other for rights to the throne.
Phokoje told Mmegi Sport that he was invited by the Basketball South Africa to come and try out in their professional league.
“I travelled to Johannesburg and I was given two games to officiate and when I was done the entire panel was impressed with my work. I was fortunate enough because for the last two years I have been refereeing in schools and other tournaments all over South Africa,” he said. The locally-based referee said he travels to South Africa every weekend to officiate. “Everything is all expenses paid and yes I do get paid for my services,” he said. Phokoje indicated that he got into the finals after his impressive work in the league.
“I took a test and did exceptionally well, that’s when they nominated me to officiate in the finals,” he said. Phokoje said in other tournaments he always officiated in the finals and that is where Basketball South Africa saw his talent. He said the league started with 12 teams from different provinces of South Africa and it all went down to the top four. “The semi-finals were last week and I was officiating,” he said. Going into the final, Phokoje said he would take it just like any other game. “It is a high level game and it is going to be tough for the teams playing but I will do my best to balance the situation. I treat every game as it comes,” he said. Phokoje, who started refereeing in 1998, indicated that the call up is a big achievement for him. “Last year, I got my licence and this year I turned professional and from here I want to officiate in Europe,” he said. The Botswana Basketball League spokesperson, Tumelo Boima, said Phokoje’s nomination is a great achievement more so that he is the first Motswana to achieve this feat in the sport. “He is the only referee from abroad in the SA league. Mothusi is a great ambassador for the sport of basketball in and outside Botswana,” he said.