Within the coming fortnight the local international FIBA basketball referee, Bernard Vassallo, will be attending two different appointments in the United Kingdom.

Vassallo was nominated by the European basketball federation, FIBA, to be one of the ten appointed referees during the Under 18 European Championships to be held in Cardiff, Wales, between next Monday and Saturday 21 July.

Immediately following these championships, Vassallo will travel to Bristol where between 22 and 28 July, he will attend an intensive clinic that will be directed by technical director for referees in the Euroleague Alan Richardson.

In this prestigious clinic, for which Vassallo received an invitation, there will be a number of referee evaluators and instructors from FIBA and ULEB.

All the referees will undergo various tests and will attend specialised seminars on the three-man refereeing system.

They will also be refereeing every day in a Pro-Am tournament.