MIC
Monday, March 04, 2013
FIFA MA training course for
Somalia’s elite football referees has officially got underway in
Djibouti on Sunday morning. The course is part of the joint FIFA/ SFF
efforts intended to increase the knowledge and experience of referees in
the war-torn country.
Somali Football Federation
Education officer and course coordinator Ali Mohamed Ahmed who first
addressed at the launching ceremony of the course explained that SFF had
spent a great deal of time and efforts in the process of preparing fit
and young age referees for the course.
“Here we have very talented
referees including international and national levels, most of them are
young and this shows that SFF is committed to developing the referee
department from the bottom” education officer Ali Mohamed Ahmed told the
ceremony.
Djibouti football federation
senior vice president Mohamed Yasin welcomed the Somali referees to his
country telling them that Djibouti was their second homeland. “Feel to
be at home, whilst in Djibouti you are not guests or foreigners—I know
most of you know about that, but I am directing my speech to those who
have never arrived in Djibouti” the FDF senior vice president told the
ceremony.
Somali Football Federation
Secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab indicated that the SFF was always
prioritising the development of its referee department, because he said
the referees are the backbone of most activities.
“On behalf of SFF I would like to
thank FIFA for its continued efforts of helping how football in Somalia
would have achieved a tangible development—in the past FIFA did all it
could to protect Somali football from collapsing and that fruitful
endeavour became very successful, because Somali football was competing
with the rest of the world despite experiencing one of the most
notorious civil wars and lawlessness in the world for the past 22 years”
secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab told the ceremony.
He also praised the government of
Djibouti, Football Federation officials and the entire people of
Djibouti for making everything in their capacity to help their Somali
brothers. “The bilateral cooperation between SFF and FDF is very
mentionable” secretary General Abdi Qani Said Arab noted during his
speech.
For his part Ahmed El Shenawi
from FIFA referee development office in Cairo noted that Somalia had
done extra efforts in terms of referee development. “On behalf of FIFA I
am extremely happy with the young age and physically fit referees here
in front of me today” El Shenawi added.
Officials, referees and media
personnel who came to cover the course all stood and applauded when
Ahmed El Shenawi told the opening ceremony that FIFA was hopeful to
organize such course in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu next year if the
security situation has fully developed.
Somali Football Federation President Ali Said Guled Roble praised the
SFF referee development department for coming up with young and strong
people. “I encourage you to show extra efforts and commitment during the
course, know that poor attendance or carelessness during the sessions
will anger your instructors or will affect your marks” SFF president Ali
Said Guled Roble told the participants before announcing the course was
open.
The five-day course is being
conducted by FIFA instructor Lim Kee Chong and fitness instructor
Boubakar Hanshi, while education officer Ali Mohamed Ahmed is
coordinating and SFF referee development office chief and local fitness
instructor Abdi Abdulle Ahmed will be assisting the FIFA instructors.