FUFA has confirmed the dates and venue for the forthcoming Elite referees course. The country’s top referees and assessors have been selected for the course that starts on Monday 23rd March, 2015 at the FUFA Technical Centre in Njeru.
Fufa.co.ug caught up with the FUFA referees’ manager Samuel Wesonga Egesa who gave information about the course.
Fufaco.ug: What is an Elite Referees course?
Egesa: This is a FIFA supported course for 30 top referees supervised by the FIFA referees regional development officer-in this case-Mr. Carlos Henriques. He will come to Uganda with two other FIFA instructors (One is Technical and the other is a fitness instructor) to conduct the course.
Carlos is is the head of the referees development within the FIFA Development office for the East, central and southern Africa headed by Mr. Ashford Mamelodi and based in Garborone Botswana.
The same course was held last year at Mandela National stadium and FUFA Technical centre in Njeru.
While in Uganda, the trio will be assisted by 8 National instructors (6 Technical instructors-Abbas Sendyowa, Catherine Adipo, Yusuf Awuye, yusuf Kamulegeya, Margaret Kubingi and Samuel Egesa. The other two are National Referees fitness instructor-Kalyango Ali and his assistant Kizito Rahman Nansubuga.
Fufa.co.ug: What is the criteria of a FIFA Member Association to get this course?
Egesa: For the case of Uganda, it is always done by application to the FIFA Regional development office based in Garborone in Botswana through the office of the Chief Executive Officer Mr. Edgar Watson.The application is usually done at the beginning of the year to give ample time for a feedback and planning.
Fufa.co.ug: What are the dates for this year’s course in Uganda?
Egesa: The course will from 23rd-27th March, 2015 at the FUFA Technical centre in Njeru. It will be a residential course for all participants.
Fufa.co.ug: How many people are expected to attend?
Egesa: We shall have 30 referees’ assessors who in Njeru for two days (23rd and 24th March, 2015) while the referees will be 30 in total (FIFA and National referees).
Will beach soccer referees be allowed to take part in this course?
Yes they will be allowed to take part but only for the physical fitness sessions depending on their availability (if they are not involved in official international engagements).
Fufa.o.ug: What is involved in this course?
Egesa: Day 1: Involves medical check-up of all the referees excluding assessors. If the participant fails a medical test he is not be allowed to take part. The pregnant referees holding FIFA badges also go through the medical tests but only take part in the physical tests on the advice of the doctor.
The tests are carried out by qualified doctors who are members of the FUFA sports medicine and medical committee headed by Doctor James Sekajugo. Usually these tests are carried out on the eve of the physical fitness tests.
Day 2: Involves the physical tests (running) in the presence of the FIFA fitness instructor assisted by the National fitness instructors. During these tests, it is mandatory that there is a standby ambulance and a qualified doctor.
The running starts with women in this order (assistant referees then centre referees).
The running involves 40M (six times), 12 laps of 150M running, 50M walking, repeated till the 12 laps are completed). The men join after in the same order as above.
After the running, the FIFA instructor releases the names of participants who have passed to continue with the course. Those who don’t meet the physical fitness standards are left out of the course.
Day 3: The participants (referees and assessors) are taken through again all the FIFA Laws of the game, their fitness levels checked where medical tests are conducted. Three tests are conducted every day on each participant (Trivia-which involves Questions and answers on the laws of the game, match analysis, and offside).
Fufa.co.ug: What happens to the participants who fail?
Egesa: They are not allowed to take part in this course as they have to wait for another chance the following. However they are allowed to take part in the National physical fitness tests that FUFA organizes during the year.
The list of participants:
Referees list: REFEREES AND ASSESSORS FOR ELITE COURSE
Referees’ assessors and instructors: Kamulegeya Yusuf, Mawanda Haruna, Adipo Catherine, Kabwimukya George, Mansoor Kimumwe, Egesa Samuel, Waiswa Ali, Nalule Aisha, Tomusange Ali, Amin Bossa Nkono, Ssendyowa Abbasi, Waiswa Ajab, Kityo Asuman, Kubingi Margaret, Yusuf Awuye, Kiwanuka Edrisa, Aswa Luke, Siraji Katono, Ojwe Denis, Basiisa Hassan, Katumba George Wamala, Allan Leo, Odoi Steven, Kayiwa Abdallah, Mayanja Paul, Mwebembezi Milton, Kalule John Cox, Bautu Umar, Matovu Sulaiman and Masembe Charles.
MAIN PHOTO: Referees taking part in a practical session during last year’s Elite Course at the the FUFA Technical centre in Njeru.
Photo credit: FUFA Communications department