Qatar Football AssociationReferees
31.10.2021 18:29 in :

Doha: A six-day FIFA Women’s Referees Workshop has concluded in Doha. The Oct 24-29 workshop featured referees who have been nominated to officiate matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in New Zealand and Australia.

The workshop included a series of theoretical and practical lectures under the supervision of retired Italian referee Pierluigi Collina, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Massimo Busacca, Executive Director of the FIFA Referees Department, Kari Seitz, FIFA Women’s Referees Head, and Hani Balan, Chairman of the Referees Committee of the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Vice-Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee. 

Naji Al-Juwaini, Executive Director of the QFA Referees Committee, was also featured in the workshop. The workshop witnessed the participation of 28 women referees – 20 on-field officials and 8 VAR specialists.

“The workshop achieved unparalleled success at all levels, organizationally, administratively and technically. The last day of the event was held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel while Qatar University conducted on-field sessions,” an official said.

Balan, Vice-Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee and Head of the Referees Committee of QFA, thanked the world governing body FIFA for sanctioning the FIFA Women’s Referees Workshop in Doha. The high-ranking Qatari official expressed his gratitude to FIFA for showing confidence in Qatar in hosting the workshop. 

The Vice-Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee explained that all the referees participating in this workshop achieved remarkable success, which reflected their passion for pursuing success in this field. He informed that participants at the Doha workshop will feature in the women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia in 2023.

Ms Kari Seitz, FIFA Women’s Referees Head, spoke to the participants at the end of the workshop and thanked QFA for the hospitality and quality of the organization. She said QFA’s pioneering initiatives in organizing workshops was applauded around the world.

She urged the participants on the importance of following the development journey diligently, focusing on the goal, adopting continuous hard work, perseverance and striving for development at all times. 

QFA previously hosted a FIFA symposium for elite referees who officiated at the FIFA Women’s World Cup matches in France in 2019 with the participation of 75 referees and their assistants. 

Referees who participated at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015 also featured in similar FIFA seminars held in Doha in 2016 and in 2018.