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| Veteran referee Nol Quilinguen is calling it a career after over 30 years of officiating, including 21 in the PBA. From Quilinguen's Facebook page |
MANILA—As confetti showered the PhilSports Arena in Pasig after San Miguel clinched the PBA Philippine Cup title on Friday night to end Season 49, a veteran referee's illustrious career came to a culmination as well.
Nol Quilinguen announced his retirement minutes after the final buzzer sounded for Game 6 of the finals.
"Ngayong araw, opisyal ko nang sinasabit ang aking pito. Sa loob ng mahigit tatlong dekada bilang isang referee, naging bahagi ako ng bawat sigla at emosyon sa loob ng court. Sinasabi man ng aking puso't isipan na kaya pa, ngunit ang aking katawan ay nagsasabing oras na para magpahinga," Quilinguen said in a statement on his Facebook account.
As a fitting tribute, the league gave Quilinguen a farewell fight by officiating the Beermen's eventual title clincher along with fellow veteran umpire Peter Balao, Mike Flordeliza, and James Paez.
In an interview with Karlo Sacamos over Sports Beat PH, Quilinguen revealed that he has been officiating matches since the early 90s in community leagues.
Quilinguen got his big break when current Rain Or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao, back when he was still the PBL commissioner, accepted his application to become one of the league's referees in 1996.
Quilinguen eventually found his way to the PBA in 2004 and has been there until he eventually decided to hang up his whistle for good.
"Sa pagtatapos ng kabanatang ito, nais kong magpasalamat sa lahat ng mga taong nakasama ko sa aking paglalakbay. Mula sa aking mga kasamahan na naging pamilya ko sa bawat laro, sa mga kaibigan na nagbigay inspirasyon, sa mga players na pinaghatulan ko ng patas at tapat, hanggang sa mga namuno/namumuno ng liga na nagtiwala sa aking kakayahan—maraming salamat sa bawat sandali, aral, at alaalang binuo natin. Sa Poong Maykapal at sa aking pamilya, na naging aking sandalan at lakas. Sa inyong walang sawang pag-unawa, sa bawat sakripisyo, at sa pagmamahal na bumalot sa akin, kayo ang dahilan kung bakit ako nagpatuloy. Higit sa lahat, sa Laro at Propesyon na aking minahal at nagbigay sa akin ng pagkakataon. Maraming Maraming Salamat. Bitbit ko ang bawat karanasan at aral, at ang pag-ibig sa larong ito ay mananatili sa aking puso," he further said.
Quilinguen can now focus more on his other job as barangay captain of the newly formed Barangay 176-D in Caloocan.
Follow him on X: @IvanSaldajeno
