Kohima, January 14 (MExN): The Nagaland Basketball Association (NBA) has announced that Imkumnaro Pongen of Mongsenyimti village and Sentitoshi Jamir of Chungtia village have been certified as B-Level Referees after successfully clearing the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) Referees Examination held during the 39th Youth National Basketball Championship at Kolkata in 2024.
With their certification, Nagaland now has four nationally certified B-Level referees, marking a significant milestone in the development of basketball officiating standards in the state, the NBA said.
Imkumnaro Pongen has had a distinguished playing career, winning a gold medal with Intermingle Club at the N I Jamir Memorial Basketball Tournament 2024 held in Mokokchung. She also secured a bronze medal representing the Mokokchung team at the Nagaland Olympics 2024 in Dimapur and represented Nagaland at the Northeast Olympic Games held in Shillong in 2022. The NBA said her transition from player to referee reflects her commitment to the sport and leadership within the basketball community.
Sentitoshi Jamir is currently pursuing a Diploma in Sports Coaching at the Netaji Subhas Southern Centre, Bengaluru. He has represented Nagaland at the 73rd Senior National Basketball Tournament in Ludhiana, Punjab, and won a bronze medal at the North East Games 2024 held in Chumukedima. He has also completed a six-week Certificate Course in Sports Coaching, strengthening his technical and officiating expertise.
The NBA stated that the certification of the two referees would help raise the standard of officiating in Nagaland and serve as an inspiration for aspiring referees and players across the region. The association congratulated Imkumnaro Pongen and Sentitoshi Jamir and expressed confidence in their continued contribution towards building a strong and value-based basketball culture in the state.
