Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: It’s an end that marks another beginning for AFC Project Future Referees Batch 2010 who graduated from the two-year rigorous referee development programme on Tuesday.
The 11 referees from across Asia had attended the Final Development Course in Kuala Lumpur that culminated in the graduation ceremony at AFC House with AFC Deputy General Secretary Hasan Al Sabah on hand to present their certificates.
Three of the participants have expressed thanks for the opportunity to take part in the coveted referee development programme and what it meant for them to finish it.
“I’m so happy to finally finish the course,” said Mohammed Khled Al Hoish from Saudi Arabia. “Throughout the two years, I feel like the Project Future Referees batch is a tight family with AFC helping us in all the ways that they can so that we keep improving and learning to be excellent referees.”
Sivakorn Pu-Udom of Thailand shared his colleague’s sentiment: “The two years in Project Future Referees zoomed really fast, just like school. I’ve learned a lot from the caring and top-notch AFC instructors. Now, it’s all up to me to keep improving and develop my own style.”
“The two years’ training in Project Future referees is experience money can’t buy,” chipped in Australian Peta McCallum. “Working with referees and instructors from different cultures has developed me as a person and referee, a useful experience for when I work with players from many backgrounds in the future.”
AFC Project Future Referees Manager George Cumming praised the referees, saying: “I think the quality of the referees finishing this programme is the highest and the participants themselves are first-class.
“They finished all the components of training successfully, be it theoretical or practical, with the latter involving a high-level mini tournament involving local clubs.”