CRISTINA Columna will be enshrined into the WNBL Legends Circle for the distinction of being the first Filipina international referee.
Columna will be recognized along with Emelia Vega as part of the first batch of members of the Legends Circle that was created to honor the past players, coaches, and officials of Philippine basketball.
Columna, Vega, and two more individuals will be honored during the WNBL season opener on July 17.
Following her playing career that included a stint in the national team, Columna went into officiating and eventually became a licensed Fiba referee, a first by any female in the Philippines.
She also made a mark in the academe as a professor and author of several textbooks about Physical Education.
College, national team career
Incidentally, Columna and her fellow Legends Circle honoree Vega were teammates in the Philippine team when it won the bronze medal in the 2001 Southeast Asian Games.
Columna played college ball for Polytechnic University of the Philippines from 1982 to 1986, and even received a scholarship to play in a school in Japan.
Aside from the members of the Legends Circle, Ever Bilena, Discovery Suites, Vivian Manila of WNCAA, former Women’s Philippine Basketball League (WPBL) commissioner Yeng Guiao, Bernie Atienza, and the BEST Center will also be given citations for their contributions to Philippine women’s basketball.
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