Lahore, 20 Feb : FIFA Members Association Elite Referees Course concluded at FIFA Football House, Lahore with course participants more than happy with the efforts of famous FIFA refereeing Instructor Masoud Enayat and FIFA Referee Development Officer Mohamed Muhiseen Ariff (Sri Lanka).
“This course provided participants with information and methodologies that will assist them to refresh their referee career. Pakistan Football Federation (PFF)’s President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat is well on the way to get more such courses from FIFA, AFC. It was fine opportunity for Pakistani Referees to learn refereeing tips from high-profile former FIFA Referees. The course takes referees step by step through the process that is followed in having two-way discussions with referees on performance and realizing potential.” said PFF’s Secretary General Lt. Col ® Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi who acted as Chief Guest. PFF Director Operation Wng. Cmdr ® Pervaiz Saeed Mir was also present on this occasion.
Twenty-six Referees, including three Female Referees, were exposed to the latest FIFA interpretation and application of the Laws of the game in theory and also practical sessions when Masoud Enayat acted as Instructor, supported by Pakistani-based former FIFA Referee Salah Uddin Awan. Muhiseen Ariff (Sri Lanka) had also strengthen the Course with his presence at Lahore. PFF Referee Manager Rauf Bari, Ahmed Ali (Karachi), Arif Siddiqui (Lahore), Shahid Ahmed Khan (Rawalpindi) and Hidayat Ullah (Peshawar), performed duty as Observer Instructors.
In all, 26 participants took part from various cities of Pakistan who described the Course as “invaluable” as Masoud added :” All of you (the participants) come from different professions back home, but football, being the international language that unites everyone, saw all of you putting in your respective strengths to make this course a successful one.” He urged the participants to continue learning after they’ve returned to their homes and keep fitness level high through own recourses.
FIFA Referee Saleem Khan, on behalf of all participants, said about their experience. “The entire course was very fruitful and an eye-opener at the way Football is governed and run and managed as a Business. We had open discussions and exchange of views and this helped us all greatly to appreciate each others’s cultures and football development and aspirations. It was like a great family with constant encouragement from well-known foreign and home Instructors.”
The Course, being financed by FIFA saw participation of 23 male FIFA, Ex-FIFA and national referees plus three female referees. They received Certificates and CDs during Concluding Ceremony.
MALE REFEREES (23) : Mian Abdul Bari (Khanewal), Muhammad Iqbal Jr, Shahid Ismail, Abdul Aziz (Karachi), Danish Uddin (Hyderabad), Jahangir Khan, Ghulam Muhamad Samad, Muhammad Afzal, Sardar Hanif (Quetta), Asif bin Younus, Waheed Murad (Lahore), Shafaat Habib (Toba Tek Singh), Rana Naseer Ahmed (Faisalabad), Shahid Hussain (Okara), Shahid Rasheed (Arifwala), Muhammad Saleem Khan, Muhammad Ali Sr, Muhammad Ali Jr (Peshawar) and Chaman Khan (Islamabad), Khalid Khan (Bahawalpur), Rana Naseer Ahmed, Abdul Jabbar ( Faisalabad), Khurram Shahzad (Kohat)
FEMALE REFEREES (3) : Yasmeen Zareen, Asif Naheed Butt, Ayesha Nisar