Referee donates FIBA ball to BANMI

Local basketball referee Arnold Mesa donated to the Basketball Association of the Northern Mariana Islands a Molten GL7 basketball, the official basketball used in FIBA-sanctioned competitions.

Mesa presented the basketball to BANMI president Mike Muna and vice president Elias Rangamar during halftime of the 2005 Budweiser Cup BANMI Men’s Island-wide Basketball League match between O’Douls-Ol’Aces and MARPAC-Titans last Wednesday.

The 20-year basketball referee said the GL7 basketball he donated to BANMI is one of eight basketballs given to him by FIBA when he officiated a number of basketball games during the World Masters Olympics played from July 21 to 30 in Canada.

Mesa said he is giving the basketball to BANMI so local basketball players would get a feel of equipment used by FIBA during international competitions. He said aside from BANMI, former men’s national coach Rufino Aguon and one of the players in the junior women’s national team were also recipients of GL7 basketballs.

The Guam-born Mesa said he is also planning to donate one of the basketballs to the 18-and-under Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League,

Muna, for his part, said in behalf of BANMI, he would like to extend his appreciation to Mesa for donating the FIBA basketball to the association. He said it is BANMI’s intention to acquire more of these balls so local players could get used to them and that hopefully would better prepare them for regional and international competitions in the future.

The BANMI president said the GL7 basketball would first be used by BANMI for its planned women’s league, which is expected to start this coming December. He is also planning to recommend to the board that the GL7 be used during the inaugural 20-and-under Micronesian Basketball Tournament set to be played here early next year. The 20-and-under MBT is a FIBA-sanctioned event.

According to the Molten website, the GL7 was created by Giugiara Design of Italy and aside from being the official basketball of FIBA events, it has also been adopted as the official game ball of professional and amateur leagues in more than 20 countries.

The GL7 basketball incorporates such features as Dual Cushion technology, Molten Flat-Pebble surface, and Molten Full-Flat Seam, which leads to a better and easier grip as well as a more consistent backspin that allows players to pass and shoot more efficiently and accurately.