FIBA Hall of Fame
    Mario HOPENHAYM (URU)

    games.texts.goToSponsorWebsiteFIBA Hall Of Fame
    2007
    CLASS

    Category | Technical official Date of Birth | 08.03.1926 Date of Death | 07.05.2016 Country | Uruguay

    Highlights

    • Began playing basketball: 1941

    • Started his career as a referee of the Uruguayan Basketball Federation: 1955

    • Refereed a total of 23 Uruguayan championships in the Senior and Junior categories: 1955-1984

    • International referee: 1963-1984

    • Called in 2 Olympic Games: Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968

    • Refereed in the Montevideo 1967 World Championships for Men

    • Called in the 1966 Invitational World Tournament in Santiago de Chile

    • Refereed in 2 World Championships for Women: São Paulo 1971 and Colombia 1975

    • Called in many other international tournaments and championships (first non-European referee to call in a European Championship -Moscow 1965-)

    • Director of the Uruguayan Training School of Referees: 1971-1992

    • FIBA International Referee Instructor: 1981-2005 (59 clinics in total)

    • President of the Technical Commission of the Uruguayan Basketball Federation since 1984

    • Member of the Technical Commission of FIBA: 1984-2006

    • Named President of the Technical Commission of COPABA (current FIBA Americas): 1992

    • Technical Commissioner in 4 consecutive Olympic Games: Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004

    • Technical Commissioner in many other international tournaments and championships

    Distinctions & Recognitions

    • In 1984, upon his retirement, FIBA named him Honorary Referee

    • FIBA Order of Merit in 2006

    • Named Honorary Member of FIBA Americas in 2006