Recently, the latest examination for the IJF International Refereeing Licence took place in Almaty (KAZ). The exam session was preceded by a seminar for referees and coaches, which focused on the video clips presented at the seminar in Gyor (HUN) earlier this year. These clips were discussed by the IJF Head Refereeing Directors Armen Bagdasarov and Ki-Young Jeon, with the assistance of Tonino Chyurlia, Commission Secretary, and Akinobu Osako, JUA Head Refereeing Director, taking into account the experiences from the World Judo Tour events in the first half of the year.
The technical cooperation of Olympic champion Tina Trstenjak, who works as an IJF referee supervisor and IJF Academy expert, proved invaluable. Having swapped her judogi for a referee’s uniform, Trstenjak represented Slovenia as the European candidate for the International Licence exam, which she passed with flying colours. Trstenjak commented:
It was a very good experience for me, and I believe that the new knowledge and experiences I gained will help me understand and bring higher quality to my work. Thanks to the International Judo Federation, the IJF Referee Commission, Head Referee Directors, and everyone who helped and supported me along the way.
Bruno Cerina, the second European candidate from Croatia, also passed the exam and shared his thoughts afterwards;
I am really happy to have received the IJF International Licence. This exam in Almaty was a really rewarding experience. The level of judo displayed by the young athletes was exceptionally high. The guidance and support from the IJF Refereeing Head Directors and Commissioners during this examination is invaluable for my future development as a judo referee. I am grateful to the EJU Refereeing Commission for giving me this amazing opportunity by selecting me as a candidate. This achievement is not only a personal milestone, but a testament to years of dedication, hard work and passion for judo. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Congratulations to the two new International Referees.
Author: Szandra Szogedi