The referee revealed the citizen, Jacob Gabesh, 57, that he entered the Millennium Club next season, managing 1,000 games in his career with the whistle in the basketball courts, since he won the badge in 1984, in a career spanning 37 years, which made him a legend in the game, not At the local and Gulf levels only, but also the second most refereed basketball player in the world to manage first-class matches (men and youth), after the American Gault Junior, who has a march of 44 years, and the first Arab and continental.
Ghabish told «Emirates Today» that «my career with the game, which started when I was 13 years old, when I was a player in the Cubs of Sharjah Club, then moved to the whistle and the management of matches starting in 1984, in a march spanning 44 years, including 37 years of rule During which I did not take into account breaking records, as much as focusing on continuing to give in this game, and how to manage matches in a way that reflects the superior level of Emirati sport, whether locally or Gulf, and even Arab and continental ».
He explained, “Despite my intention in 2015 to end my career in the game, Sharaf won the award of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for sports creativity, and was behind the retreat from the decision to retire and continue the march, in light of the suffering that the UAE basketball is experiencing in the shortage In preparing the refereeing teams in general, and citizenship in particular, which opened the door for me to continue the path in the management of matches, which by the end of the current season exceeded nearly 940 games, and I expect to enter next season 2020-2021 Millennium Club ».
He added: «My career included many important stations, whether I scored as a player with Sharjah many tournaments, including two league tournaments and three cup titles, before I stopped playing permanently in 1988, because of my association with the arbitration that I started in May 1984, when I participated in two sessions to prepare The leaders in Dubai, and another course for coaches and another for the referees, which led me later to obtain the international badge in 1993, and since that period I have had the honor to manage matches at the Gulf and continental levels, and I attended in all copies of the Dubai International Championship held under the umbrella of the International Federation, and I celebrated, in Last January, in its 31st edition, just now I, during which he managed 169 games ».
He went on to say: “Never before has any referee at the Gulf, Arab and continental levels been able to continue for this many years in the management of first-class matches, which is a pride for Emirati arbitration that has always been trusted to manage the major basketball championships, and has always been a subject of interest at the Gulf, continental and global levels In the World Cup tournaments, especially in the Sunni stages.
Yaqoub Ghabbash, the head of the Arab and Emirati federations for basketball, Major General Ismail Al-Gergawi, praised the achievement of many figures, indicating that Al-Gergawi represents his spiritual father and his colleagues thanks to the ongoing encouragement they find.
Ghabish stressed that reaching the age of 57 years and delaying the decision to retire is due to the non-entry of young elements who can succeed the current generation of rulers, in light of the obstacles described by Ghabish by saying: “Many factors stand in the way of entering new generations of rulers, especially the young ones, and perhaps Among the most prominent of them is the weak financial return, given that the financial value granted to the newly established referee is limited to 70 dirhams per game.
Continue the exercises
Emirati referee Yaqoub Ghabish talked about the daily lifestyle that he takes to maintain his physical fitness. He said: “Despite the nature of my work, which requires me long hours of work, and my association with my family, I find the time to continue the exercises that allow me to keep my fitness. Physical, there are many rulers at the level of the world whose career spanned for many years, including, of course, American rule, and Gornor, who started his career in arbitration since 1972 ».