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As the IWBF Men's and Women's Repechage Tournaments get ready to get underway, a team of experienced International Technical Officials (ITOs) from across the globe are in place to support the final stage of qualification for the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships.
With the final World Championship places at stake, the officials selected for the tournaments bring a wealth of experience from Paralympic Games, World Championships, zonal championships, and international competitions, ensuring the highest standards of competition delivery both on and off the court.
Men's Repechage – Suphanburi, Thailand
The Men's Repechage will be overseen by Technical Delegate Don Perriman (Australia), supported by Assistant Technical Delegate Joanne Rutavicius (Great Britain) and Technical Technical Commissioner Cristian Roja (Italy).
The officiating team includes referees Hiroki Ono (Japan), Krunoslav Peic (Croatia), Hector Carmona (Spain), Zijian Geng (China), Dimitrios Xylas (Greece), Ethan Lloyd (Australia), Alexandre Lapointe (Canada), Mebarka Labani (Algeria), Shufei Hsieh (Chinese Taipei), Diego Borghini (Uruguay), Omer Atalan (Türkiye), and Daniel Kruger (Germany).
Referee Supervisors Juan Uruñuela (Spain) and Max Kindervater (Germany) will support the development and evaluation of the officiating team throughout the competition.
The classification team is led by Chief Classifier Beatriz Garcia Hernando (Spain), alongside classifiers Raul Cembrano (Philippines), Blanca Remirez (Colombia), Yang Jiong (China), and Loleta Krige (South Africa).
Commissioner duties will be carried out by Somkiat Ngoenphotduang (Thailand) and Taichi Nishimura (Japan).
Women's Repechage – Guadalajara, Spain
At the Women's Repechage, Technical Delegate Sileno Santos (Brazil) and Technical Technical Commissioner Sergio Giordano (Canada) will oversee the competition operations.
The referee team features Natasha Onono (South Africa), Yang Wang (China), Doris Korsman-Kaschmieder (Netherlands), Pedro Vasquez (Chile), Ardavan Eizadirad (Canada), Mauricio Gamez (Costa Rica), Hrvoje Pencinger (Croatia), Jakub Kral (Czech Republic), Christopher Stainton (Great Britain), Poh Boon Yap (Malaysia), and Piotr Ciesielski (Poland).
Referee Supervisors Guglielmo Bianchi (Italy) and Zarko Tomsic (Slovenia) will provide technical support and evaluation during the tournament.
The classification team is headed by Chief Classifier Regina Costa (Portugal), supported by Emiliana Bizarini (Italy), Tan Trien Dinh (France), Gustavo Pazinato (Brazil), and Tamara Sanchez (Spain).
Commissioners Nathalie Van Meurs (Netherlands) and Damir Kunosic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) complete the Women's Repechage ITO team.
Delivering the Final Step on the Road to Ottawa 2026
The Repechage tournaments represent the final opportunity for teams to secure qualification for the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa, Canada. Behind every game is a dedicated team of technical officials working to ensure the competitions are delivered to the highest international standards.
IWBF extends its thanks to all officials for their commitment and contribution to the sport and wishes them a successful tournament.
