10) The one where I get back on a competitive court

The first few days of competition have gone REALLY quickly. Games started on Wednesday but with only a handful of matches, I didn't receive my first appointments until Thursday when both venues came into play. 

Ariake Arena is close to our hotel, however due to Covid protocols we are unable to walk there. Instead, we must take the official (air conditioned!) transportation. The second arena is a 40 minute drive out of Tokyo - the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza - and is just as impressive as Ariake. The added bonus of playing and officiating out at Musashino is since it is beyond the Tokyo emergency zone, spectators have been permitted to attend. Although they are not permitted to chant and cheer, their presence is felt through their enthusiastic clapping. It is clear to see what it means to the players, because at the end of each game both teams line up and wave to everyone, or bow to them. During group play, the officials have been split into 2 bubbles and alternate their games each day between both venues. I was appointed to a double-header of games at Musashino - one women's (Germany vs Australia) and one men's (Korea vs Turkey). 

 

As I said in a previous post prior to leaving for Tokyo, getting back on court felt so good. International athletes and sports-people always comment on how special it feels when pulling on their national team's kit, or 'wearing the badge with honour'. I can fully empathise with that feeling, because getting changed into my new IWBF uniform gave me a little shiver of excitement and pride. Granted, as a referee I am neutral and not representing any country, but I didn't let that minor detail detract from the feeling I had as I prepared for my games! 

Germany vs Australia ended with quite a large win for Germany, but Korea vs Turkey was a much closer affair. Korea had played really well the night before against Rio silver-medallists Spain and pushed them until the final couple of minutes of the match. They did the same against Turkey, keeping the match close until the final few minutes. 

In between these 2 games, there was quite a long gap. Since I was working with one of the officials on both games, we decided to use the time effectively and rest in the changing room. Using benches from the changing area, we even managed to each create our own make-shift beds to lie on and catch up on some sleep, since we were still adjusting to the time difference. I was woken by my colleague with about an hour to go before the game, to the sound of my own snoring which he had recorded on his phone!(And if the recording is anything to go by, I can only apologise to my wife!) 

 

The following day I only had one match - the first of the day. It was another women's game involving two unbeaten teams: Canada against the host nation, Japan. It was a reasonably quick match, the kind of game which is easier to referee because the players just wanted to get on with it and play hard. Canada won convincingly, but Japan kept it competitive throughout. 

Stepping out onto a basketball court in a cavernous arena and under blindingly bright lights can be an intimidating experience. I remember it well from Rio and having to work particularly hard to block everything out of my mind except the game. This time round, it has been a little easier due to the lack of spectators screaming, shouting and banging drums. There isn't as much atmosphere at these games, but it certainly allows us as officials to focus on the task in hand. 

Each match is observed by a referee supervisor, who has access to the video replay system. As we work hard on the court, they work equally hard watching the match, making notes and capturing video clips for our post-match analysis. Being able to go from the floor and into a conference room to sit and watch clips of your own performance within 15 minutes is amazing - it is one of the most powerful developmental tools we have as officials and we are all very grateful that we can use this to improve on a daily basis. Having 4 camera angles also ensures that there is no room for disagreement when it comes to feedback - the camera never lies! 

In summary, the first few days of competition have been great. The feedback has been fair, supported by video analysis and provided clear areas of strength and development for future games. I have worked with colleagues from previous tournaments, but also had games with officials who I'd never met before until arriving in Japan. The consistent focus we have is on the game of wheelchair basketball - we may come from different countries, speak different languages and have different backgrounds yet basketball is the one thing binds us together and provides a strong foundation as we get to know each other better. 

As our Technical Delegate said in an email to all officials recently:

"We are all part of something unique in the history of sport, thank you for supporting it and thank you for making this event possible for all of our teams and players.

We are all wheelchair basketball!"