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The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s commitment to produce world-class match officials was further strengthened as Batch 2019 of the AFC Referee Academy celebrated their graduation on Monday.
Commencing at the AFC House in February 2020, an introductory module spanning five days was conducted for the enrolled candidates of Batch 2019, setting the stage for the officials to undergo a transformative journey aimed at shaping them into referees fit to officiate at the world’s biggest stages.
Despite facing the challenging obstacle of the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after the programme kicked off, the AFC Referee Academy devised a plan to transition the onsite modules to a virtual platform, which ensured that despite travel restrictions, officials continued to receive classroom-style lectures, enabling them to stay on track in their pursuit of excellence.
Furthermore, as online lessons continued over the next two years, the Academy remained steadfast in its resolve to provide tailormade support to the Confederation’s referees and revamped its curriculum to include several new insightful topics such as Game Empathy & Understanding, Sports Psychology, and Body Language.
With the eventual relaxation of pandemic-related constraints, the Confederation introduced a new hybrid learning model in 2022 which comprised a balanced mix of online classes as well as the resumption of onsite modules.
With the ninth and final onsite module for Batch 2019 taking place earlier this year, as many as 19 of the 36 graduates were included on the coveted FIFA International List.
Congratulating the graduates on their achievement, AFC Deputy General Secretary of Competitions & Football Shin Man Gil said: “The AFC has outlined its Vision and Mission to ensure our match officials grace the biggest stages in world football and the AFC Referee Academy plays a pivotal role, not only in helping realise those ambitions, but also in raising the refereeing capabilities of our Member Associations.
“We have always maintained that world-class competitions require world-class officials, and every day, the AFC has been striving to produce officials who are among the best in the world.
“Therefore, many congratulations to each and every one of you. I am sure the path ahead of you is full of new opportunities through which, I am confident that you will keep making the Confederation proud.”
