At the age of 61, a citizen’s referee blows his whistle for the 200th time in the “Dubai Basket”.

The dean of the Asian referees, “the second in the world in managing the game matches (men and youth)”, the Emirati Yaqoub Gabesh (61 years), blew his whistle for the 200th time in the Dubai International Basketball Championships, by directing the day before yesterday the Syrian Al-Wehda match with the Libyan Al-Nasr at the opening of the 32nd edition of the The league of the championship groups that will be held until the fifth of next February at Al-Nasr Club hall.

Gabesh’s career has been associated with the “Dubai Basket” since the launch of its first edition in 1989, and his career with the game has enjoyed since obtaining the international badge in 1984, by managing more than 1,100 matches in the first-class teams, including 200 matches in the Dubai Championships, which made him a legend in the game. Not only at the level of the Arab region and Asia, but also as the second referee of the game internationally after the retired American Walt Jurtur, who has a 44-year career in managing NBA matches.

Ghabesh told Emirates Today: “My career with the game began when I was 13 years old, when I was a player in the Sharjah Cubs, and then moved to the whistle and match administrations since 1984, in a 46-year career, including 39 years as a referee, during which I did not waste any damage. Records as my goal, as far as focusing on continuing to give in the game in general, and the (Dubai International) tournaments, which are the oldest and most continuous in Asia, and which have been associated with them since the launch of their first edition.

He explained: “Although I went in 2015 to make the decision to end my career in the game, my honor of winning the (His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Sports Creativity) was behind my return from the decision to retire, which allowed me with the start of the 2020 season. – 2021 by entering the Millennium Club in managing first-class matches.

He added, “My career included many important stations, especially on the arbitration side, during which I managed many Gulf and continental finals, in addition to my presence in all versions of the Dubai International Championship that is held under the umbrella of the International Federation.”

He continued: «Never before has any referee at the Gulf and Arab levels, and even the continental one, continued for this number of years in managing first-row matches, and it is a pride for the Emirati arbitration who has always been trusted in his management of the major basketball tournaments, and has always been a subject of interest at the Gulf and continental levels. And even the world in the World Cup tournaments, especially at the level of the Sunni stages ».

The President of the Arab and Emirati Basketball Federations, Major General Ismail Al-Gergawi, praised the referee, Jacob Gabesh, for the many numbers he achieved.

Ghabish stressed that his reaching the age of 61 is not an obstacle to his continuity in managing matches, and he said: “Despite the nature of my work that requires me long hours, and my association with my family, I find enough time to continue with the exercises that allow me to maintain my physical fitness, there Many referees in the world have extended their careers for many years, including, of course, the American referee Walt Journor, who was born in 1945, and began his career in the world of arbitration in 1972.

Matches on Sunday, January 29, 2023

■ The National Team – Lebanese Dynamo 17:00

■ Sale Moroccan – Lebanese Sports 19:00

■ Tunisian African – Lebanese Beirut 21:00

The national team loses the kick-off.. and faces Dynamo today

At five in the afternoon, the national team will enter the test of the Lebanese Dynamo team, in a meeting that will be held for the first group on the third day of the tournament, provided that it will be followed by the second group meeting, which will bring together in the seventh the Moroccan and the Lebanese Al-Riyadi teams, then the Tunisian African and the Lebanese Beirut, who will start at nine. .

In its match, the team bears the slogan of compensation, after suffering a sudden loss on the opening day against Strong Group of the Philippines, by four points and with a score (87-91), in a match during which the “white” neglected its progress in its early stages, and paid an expensive tax in its second and third quarters as a result. The rush to end the attacks, which allowed the Filipinos to set a comfortable difference, made it difficult for the team to return with the result, despite its superiority in its fourth period.

“Dabkeh” and “Al-Faraj” resound in the stands

The Lebanese and Tunisian fans lived the joy yesterday in the Al-Nasr Club hall, with the victory of their representatives on the second day of the tournament, after the Lebanese “Dynamo” team gifted its supporters a great victory over the Syrian unit (95-75), and the African-Tunisian brought joy to his fans, known as (Al-Fairaj). , after achieving a massive victory over Morocco’s Sale (73-51).

Dynamo danced the Lebanese Dabkeh in its first appearance on the history of the “Dubai Basket”, and its players dominated the course of the Syrian Al-Wehda match, and obtained absolute preference over the results of the four periods of the match, by (21-17, 32-26, 22-17, and 20-15).

In turn, the African-Tunisian achieved its broad victory by gaining its players the advantage with the results of the first and third quarters, and then the fourth quarter, with a score (18-11, 18-17, and 23-5), while the players of Sale settled with the advantage with the result of the third quarter (18-14).

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