The Nagaland Basketball Association has announced that Imkumnaro Pongen of Mongsenyimti village and Sentitoshi Jamir of Chungtia village have been certified as B-Level Referees after successfully clearing the Basketball Federation of India referees examination.
The examination was conducted during the 39th Youth National Basketball Championship held in Kolkata in 2024. With their certification, Nagaland now has four nationally certified B-Level referees, a development seen as a significant step in strengthening officiating standards in the state.
Imkumnaro Pongen has previously made her mark as a player, winning a gold medal with Intermingle Club at the N I Jamir Memorial Basketball Tournament 2024 in Mokokchung and securing a bronze medal with the Mokokchung team at the Nagaland Olympics 2024 in Dimapur. She also represented Nagaland at the Northeast Olympic Games in Shillong in 2022. Her move into refereeing reflects her continued involvement and commitment to the sport.
Sentitoshi Jamir is currently pursuing a Diploma in Sports Coaching at the Netaji Subhas Southern Centre in Bengaluru. He has represented Nagaland at the 73rd Senior National Basketball Tournament in Ludhiana and won a bronze medal at the North East Games 2024 in Chumukedima. He has also completed a six-week certificate course in sports coaching.
The association said the achievement is expected to encourage aspiring referees and athletes across Nagaland.