Takaki Kato

Takaki Kato
Personal information
Born (1988-06-30) 30 June 1988
Anjō, Aichi, Japan
NationalityJapanese

Takaki Kato (Japanese: 加藤 誉樹, born 30 June 1988) is a Japanese international basketball referee,[1][2][3][4] who became Japan's first professional referee in 2017 and has worked at multiple international tournaments including the Olympic Games, the World Cup, the Paris 2024 Olympic basketball tournament, and the FIBA Asia Cup.[5][6]

Career

Kato earned his FIBA referee license in 2014 and debuted professionally in Japan's B.League in 2016–17. In September 2017, he became Japan's first-ever professional referee, marking a significant milestone in the country's refereeing system.

In Japan, he has won the B.League's “Best Referee Award” for nine consecutive seasons (2016–17 through 2024–25).

Internationally, Kato officiated at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (held in 2021),[7] the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup,[8] he was included in the "Long List of referees" for the Paris 2024 Olympics,[9] and he officiated at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 in Jeddah, participating in group and knockout stages.

Recognition

His notable refereeing assisgments include:[10][11][12][13]

  • B.League Best Referee Award – nine seasons (2016–17 to 2024–25).
  • Tokyo 2020 Olympic Basketball Tournament – official referee.[7]
  • 2023 FIBA World Cup – officiated key matches.[8]
  • Selected among referees in contention for Paris 2024 Olympics.[9]
  • FIBA Asia Cup 2025 – appointed for both group and playoff games.

References

  1. ^ "JBA公認プロフェッショナルレフェリー誕生に関する記者会見のご報告". Japan Basketball Association (in Japanese). 2017-09-25. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  2. ^ "B.LEAGUE初のプロフェッショナルレフェリー誕生のお知らせ". B.LEAGUE (in Japanese). 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  3. ^ "B.LEAGUE AWARD SHOW 2024-25 – 最優秀審判賞". B.LEAGUE (in Japanese). 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  4. ^ "加藤誉樹が9年連続で最優秀審判賞". Basketball King (in Japanese). 2025-05-31. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  5. ^ "Japanese professional referee Takaki Kato". AnytimeFitness Magazine. B-League / JBA. 2025-03-24. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  6. ^ ""We respect the firm attitude of a referee" – interview mentioning Kato's status as Japan's first professional referee". IHF.info. International Handball Federation. 2017. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  7. ^ a b "Paris Olympic Games basketball referees announced – includes Takaki Kato". BasketNews. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  8. ^ a b "Two Japanese referees at the Basketball World Cup: Takaki Kato has nine years of FIBA experience". Japan Forward. SportsLook. 2023-08-28. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  9. ^ a b "FIBA publish Long List of Paris Olympics referees – includes Takaki Kato". FIBA. 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  10. ^ "講師プロフィール（加藤誉樹）" (PDF). Japan Top League (in Japanese). 2018-08-25. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  11. ^ "The 30 FIBA Referees for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Basketball Tournaments". FIBA. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  12. ^ "44 referees selected for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023". FIBA. 2023-08-17. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  13. ^ "FIBA confirms list of referees for Paris 2024". FIBA Refereeing. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
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