Filipino basketball referee, classified under FIBA’s elite level
If there's a basketball referee today who belongs to the elite ranks of FIBA, it is none other than Filipino referee Glenn Cornelio.
One of Cornelio's greatest aspirations is to officiate in the FIBA World Cup. Currently, he holds a FIBA Black License, allowing him to officiate both men's and women's competitions.
He was also part of the recently concluded East Asia Super League (EASL) championship finals in Macau.
Aside from Cornelio, five other Filipino referees are accredited by FIBA—Totie Celeste, Aaron Canete, Harry Santos, Ralph Moreto, and Christian Penaojas. However, Cornelio is the only one recognized at the elite level for the 2023-25 cycle.
“My goal is to officiate in the World Cup’s main competition. In the last World Cup, I was only a reserve referee,” Cornelio said.
For Cornelio, being a basketball referee is no easy task. He believes that referees must always be ready, well-prepared, and highly knowledgeable about the rules, while also maintaining top physical condition.
"Readiness and preparedness in terms of rule knowledge and physical conditioning should always be a referee’s mindset. Our motto is ‘learning never stops’ because basketball is constantly evolving and improving. Referees must continue studying to stay updated. Basketball knowledge and refereeing expertise should go hand in hand,” he added.
Cornelio began his officiating career in 2002 during his third year in college. He later advanced to officiate in prestigious leagues such as the UAAP, NCAA, FilOil, Liga Pilipinas, PBA, and FIBA.
His international experience includes officiating in the SEA Games (twice), FIBA Asia and World Cup qualifiers, the FIBA Asia Cup, BCL, WASL, ABL, EASL Final Four (twice), EASL Terrific 12, PBA 3x3 and 5x5, and the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Cornelio’s journey serves as an inspiration to fellow Filipino referees who aspire to reach the highest levels of the profession.
