Doha: Hani Taleb Ballan, Chairman of the AFC Referees Committee, presided over the committee’s third meeting, held today, Tuesday, via video conference.  

During the meeting, the committee reaffirmed its commitment to developing world-class referees capable of officiating top-tier matches on the international stage. Committee members praised a series of innovative programs introduced and implemented over the past years, aimed at educating, training, and enhancing the capabilities of referees across Asia. As a result, an increasing number of Asian referees are now managing major matches at the global level in various tournaments.  

In another testament to the rising stature of Asian referees, the committee commended the Asian refereeing trio of Australia’s Alireza Faghani, Anton Shchetinin, and Ashley Beecham, who were appointed to officiate the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final between title-winners Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.  

The committee also highlighted the involvement of Asian referees in critical stages of several recent major international tournaments, including the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic and the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia—both of which were won by the DPR Korea women’s national team—as well as the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan.  

Additionally, the committee applauded the pivotal role played by the AFC Referees Academy, the first of its kind at the continental level, in realizing the AFC’s vision and mission to develop elite referees and provide vital technical and developmental support to member associations since its launch in 2017.  

To date, a total of 246 referees (men and women) from 44 national associations across the continent have benefited from the academy’s comprehensive curriculum, including 104 referees listed on FIFA’s International Referees List and 58 academy graduates who have joined the AFC Elite Referees List.