FIFA Referee Commitment to Maintain Competition Quality
Out of the four referees who were in charge of the match, three have the International Football Association Federation (FIFA) badges, namely "FIFA Referee" and "FIFA Assistant Referee", on their chests.
By
MUHAMMAD IKHSAN MAHAR
·4 minutes read
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
The football match between the East Kalimantan team against North Sulawesi in the 2021 Papua PON Group C preliminary match at the Barnabas Youwe Stadium, Sentani, Papua, Friday (1/10/2021). East Kalimantan won over North Sulawesi with a score of 1-0.
JAYAPURA, KOMPAS — The men\'s soccer group C match at the National Games (PON) in Papua between East Kalimantan and North Sulawesi at Barnabas Youwe Stadium, Sentani, Jayapura regency on Friday (1/10/2021), was felt to be equivalent to matches in Liga 1, the highest professional competition caste in Indonesia. Of course this was not based on the quality of the game or the composition of the players of the two teams, but the quality of the referees in that match.
Out of the four referees who were in charge of the match, three have the International Football Association Federation (FIFA) badges, namely "FIFA Referee" and "FIFA Assistant Referee", on their chests. The three are Dwi Purba Hadi Wicaksono who served as the main referee, Nurhadi who was one of the linesmen, and Thoriq Munir Alkatiri as the fourth referee (match inspector). The referees have regularly led Indonesian League 1 matches and international matches in Asia.
Dwi Purba, for example, has experience adjudicating matches at the Southeast Asian level under the auspices of the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF). Thoriq has various experience leading international matches, from the AFC Cup to World Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, Nurhadi also has a history of being a linesman in a number of international matches.
Their presence provided a calm and safe atmosphere during the match. In the match between East Kalimantan and North Sulawesi, all players abided by the referee\'s decision. This was also seen in the last two group stage matches, Monday (4/10). The two matches were between East Java and North Sumatra led by Fariq Hutaba, and East Kalimantan versus Aceh which was Thoriq\'s second match refereeing at the Papua PON.
For him, being trusted to be a match referee at the PON is an honor that is equivalent to leading matches in Liga 1 and the international stage.
Even though only non-professional players competed at the PON, Thoriq said, he did not consider serving in the PON as a "degradation". For him, being trusted to be a match referee at the PON is an honor that is equivalent to leading matches in Liga 1 and the international stage.
Kompas
A number of police officers confronted the North Sumatran soccer team who tried to approach referee Najamudin in the XVIII National Sports Week (PON) qualifying match against East Java at Kuantan Singingi Stadium, Riau, Monday (10/9/2012).
Thoriq, who has had a FIFA refereeing license since 2014, said leading PON matches required extra attention compared to professional matches because the players prioritized physical games.
"These young players play faster and do more collisions than in Liga 1. So we have to be more active to observe their movements and increase vigilance to protect and prevent dangerous physical fights," said Thoriq, who has served three times in the PON since Riau 2012.
Nurhadi also felt proud to be trusted at the Papua PON. The linesman, who has worn the FIFA badge since 2014, served twice in the first week of qualifiers.
“The tension in the PON matches is very high, especially since they carry the names of their respective provinces. Not only that, the presence of the spectators also gives rise to high fanaticism, which requires us to maintain focus throughout the match," said Nurhadi.
East Kalimantan coach Rahmat Hidayat was pleased with the referee\'s leadership in the two preliminary matches at the PON. He appreciated the referee\'s fair decision.
Six referees
For the Papua PON, the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) assigned six FIFA-licensed referees, or 50 percent of Indonesia’s FIFA referees.
The six FIFA referees consist of three main referees: Thoriq, Dwi Purba and Fariq. Then, there are also three linesmen: Nurhadi, I Gede Selamet Raharja and Bangbang Syamsudar. Up to 24 referees are on duty in the men\'s soccer.
Referees who want to get FIFA licensing must go through various stages until they are entitled to a recommendation from the PSSI to take FIFA refereeing courses and tests.
Domestically, there are three levels of referee certificates, namely C3 (leading matches at the regency/city or amateur level), C2 (leading official matches at the junior level to Liga 3 Indonesia), and C1 (leading professional matches in Liga 1 and Liga 2).
Tests are held annually for referees who wish to retain the FIFA badge or who wish to acquire it.
From C1 to the FIFA referee title also requires a number or minutes of leading certain matches. The PSSI will provide recommendations to referees who meet the qualifications of international elite referees to take courses and tests organized by FIFA or the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Tests are held annually for referees who wish to retain the FIFA badge or who wish to acquire it.
PSSI secretary-general Yunus Nusi explained that the PON were a priority for the PSSI to nurture young talent. “The PSSI needs qualified and good referees to lead matches at the Papua PON. In addition to protecting the players, we also understand that men\'s soccer always presents high competition because of the prestige of the participating provinces," said Yunus. (SAN)
