Accra, Nov. 04, GNA – Ball and Stick, a field hockey development and promotion organization, is set to host the 2022 edition of the ‘Ball and Stick Young Officiating Umpire’ project.
The Young Officiating Umpire is a project focused on training students, especially young girls in becoming umpires and officials in field hockey.
It is an initiative to get lots of girls into a male dominated sport (field hockey) and to allow students to officiate their own matches and tournaments.
These young individuals are being engaged at an early stage where the passion can be easily nurtured till they become proponents of the sport themselves.
Mr. Kojo Lumor Ameye, Chief Executive Officer of Ball and Stick told GNA Sports that the event would be held on Friday, November 11 at the Legacy Girls College at Akuse in the Eastern Region.
He said the project was one of several initiatives under our 1M4H (1 Million 4 Hockey) project and is focused on training female students in schools in becoming Umpires.
“This program is designed to attract lots of girls/ladies into Hockey, a sport, highly dominated by males and to allow students to officiate their own matches and tournaments. It is also to offer an alternative for females who see playing hockey as risky due to the equipment used in playing to be involved in the game as officials,” he said.
Mr. Ameye mentioned that speakers for the event would be Natasha Wilson, Officiating Manager for England, and Great Britain Hockey. She is a graduate from the Bishop Grosseteste University-UK. She has been a Referee, Referee Development Officer with Liverpool County Football Association, and a FA Referee Tutor.
Also lecturing is Lelia Sacré an FIH International Elite Panel Umpire from Field Hockey Canada. Lelia is a Canadian and a holder of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History-British Imperialism. In England, she was actively involved in umpiring at top-level leagues and games in the England hockey league. Lelia has whistled in the Commonwealth Games 2018 at the Gold Coast in Australia and in Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, United Kingdom and in other high level hockey tournaments.
Mr. Sean Rapaport, Head Umpiring -USA Field Hockey would also be among the speakers. Rapaport has more than 20 years of umpiring experience and knowledge and he is FIH World Cup and Pro League Panel Umpire, he has officiated more than 70 senior international matches.
The Ball and Stick boss added that “We are very certain that our contribution today and, in the years, ahead from now can make Hockey a loved sport by all standards and profitable to participants and the entire Hockey community in Ghana and in Africa as a whole.”
Source: Ghana News Agency
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