The arbiter of FBCV Fernando Calatrava, based in Dénia for several years now, has been appointed international arbitrator candidate, in recognition of his great career in Endesa League competition in which its third season.
Calatrava says "that after going through training stages, going to the course to become an international referee is a recognition of your work and one of the last objectives of every referee. It is the next step. What you have achieved in your country do it later on an international level".
The referee will have to travel to Turkey to take a ten-day course that will end with an English test, another of game rules, another of physical tests and a practical one taking advantage of an international training tournament.
Calatrava thinks "at this moment in the Basketball Federation of the Valencian Community, the Spanish Federation and the ACB, institutions that have supported me since I started in the world of arbitration".
The Leonese looks back and remembers "matches of the FEB competitions, EBA Final Phases, Princes Cup, Queen's Cup, a very attractive competition also for the referees, ... so far with matches of the Endesa League and some playoff meeting, but he has a special affection for the 2001 Children's Spanish Championship, because it was the first experience outside my Federation, with other people, in another place ... the first time you leave home to live a very beautiful experience It really is something similar to what I feel now when starting this new goal. "
Born in León, currently residing in Denia, he began in the School of Arbitrators of his hometown. Later, he moved to Valencia, where he completed his studies and joined the start of the 1998 / 1999 season to School Referees FBCV.
Its high progression allowed him to move quickly through the different categories FBCV (Provincial, Regional and 1ª Division) in three seasons, making the leap to arbitration by the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) in September 2002. For five seasons he was arbiter of 2 FEB Group (Liga EBA), incorporated in 2007 / 2008 1 campaign to Group (Zone Adecco LEB and competitions and women's league) and the 2010 / 2011 the ACB League.
But Fernando Calatrava's dedication to basketball is not limited to the direction of games. Several seasons, their collaboration in training and modernization work, both the Arbitration (CTA) Technical Committee and the Sports Area, have made him a reference Basketball Community. Therefore, the Federation presented him at the time of recognition for his career and FBCV example in basketball.
