One afternoon at the SBP-XI office in Matina, regional director Regino “Boy” Cua shared a story of a conversation with his father, Mr. Cua Ceen.
“Sabi ko sa Papa ko Mo, kung puwede, mag work na ako sa kanya,” said Boy.
So, Boy, if I can recall it right, just spent one semester in college and made a big decision to help Mr. Cua Ceen run the rice and corn mill at that time. Under his father’s watchful eyes, Boy has learned the ropes of the daily operations of the business.
Boss Boy was probably around 19 or 20 at that time.
Manong Vic Sai, who organized tournaments then, told me that Boy Cua was actually the youngest team manager in the commercial basketball league at that time when the Cua Ceen Millers took part in the tournaments that they organized.
Not that Boy Cua did not value education, he did. He has his own reasons not to finish college. And we’ll just keep it that way.
I saw that he valued education for his children as I heard him talk to them, on separate occasions, that they will receive a brand new car once they finish university. What a lovely reward, isn’t it?
When Boy was appointed regional director of the Basketball Association of the Philippines(BAP)-XI (which was later renamed the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas), he knew from the start that there’s a need to “educate” his referees. He started ordering FIBA rule books and had them shipped to his office for distribution to Davao referees.
Then, he requested the Manila office for them to send International Referees (IRs) to Davao to personally teach his referees how IRs officiate games. He even had in mind that probably, someday a Davao referee can become an IR in the future.
This is the legacy he had left to Davao basketball referees and I am so glad that the SBP-XI regional director, who succeeded him, Glen Escandor of the Royal Mandaya Hotel has continued this legacy of continually educating referees.
Many thanks to coach Ronel Leuterio for personally overseeing things.
Just recently SBP’s Liberato Valenzuela and Emmanuel Faraon came from Manila to conduct the referee’s course and accreditation that was attended by 350 referees from all over the region.
I was touched by coach Ronel’s words that this important aspect in amateur basketball development started by Boy should continue because the late regional director started it all. He is glad that Glen Escandor has been helping him realize this project because basketball education plays a very vital role in the conduct of the sport.
I totally agree. Without referee’s courses and accreditation, our referees would tend to get stagnant because no one would test their abilities if they can really properly officiate the games. You see, in basketball, a lot of things can happen and without good referees, you will see a lot of chaos during games. Believe me, majority of the cases when a team loses a game, they always blame the referees.
Boy Cua, in his experience as a young team manager, saw this and he wanted to protect his referees by making them good referees. And the only way to make them good referees is to properly educate them. He did not mind then if he had to spend his own money because you know, Boy is “mayabang”, in a very good way. He does not want to be “mapahiya” because of the lack of skills of his referees. Sure, there have been problems with erring referees but that’s how it is in basketball life and fortunately, it has been just isolated cases. Duna gyud magpa badlong nga referee pud, so he would call Attorney Francis Calatrava, the referee’s commissioner to find a way to discipline those referees.
With the resumption of tournaments, I am also glad to know that our Davao referees have extra income these days. That’s additional money for their families. I was told that the Sports Development Division-City Mayor’s Office has conducted and financially supported tournaments and that means that Davao referees are able to earn an income.
I am happy that the basketball community is alive again!
But coach Ronel, I noticed that there are only two female referees, so far. Yung si Mary Jane Rosales and Zyla Marie Celerinos lang. It would be lovely, if there will be more lady referees in the SBP-XI. What do you think? Hehehehe.
Anyway, this corner would like to congratulate the SBP-XI led by Mr. Escandor for the successful conduct of the referee’s course and accreditation and hopefully, our referees in the region will do their best also to properly and smoothly conduct the games in order to avoid unnecessary protests after each game.
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