Amman — Jordanian referees Mahmoud Nassar and Rami Al-Huwaitat have achieved a new milestone in kickboxing officiating after earning the international “B” grade and the gold badge, having passed theoretical and practical examinations held alongside the World Cup in Uzbekistan. The two referees also took part in officiating the competition, which featured 3,034 athletes representing 77 countries.
اضافة اعلان
The achievement coincided with the participation of Al-Aqsa Club and Abdullah Amer Club in the tournament. Jordanian athletes performed strongly, winning four silver and four bronze medals, in a showing that highlighted the ability of Jordanian talent to compete at international events.
What makes Nassar and Al-Huwaitat’s achievement particularly notable is that they accomplished it through their own efforts and at their own expense, amid a lack of support and attention, according to the two referees. Both have extensive officiating experience and sporting backgrounds that include competing as athletes and working as coaches before moving into refereeing and developing their skills to reach the international level.
The two referees expressed pride in the achievement, which adds to Jordan’s sporting record. They said it would motivate them to continue working and developing their skills with the aim of reaching international grade “A” and advancing their officiating careers. They had previously earned grades “C,” “B” and “A” at the domestic and Arab levels before being promoted internationally from grade “C” to grade “B.”
Referee Mahmoud Nassar said his involvement in kickboxing began at the age of 10. He competed in various local tournaments and represented the national team in Arab, continental and international competitions before moving into coaching, where he spent several years helping prepare a number of champions.
Nassar explained that his experience as an athlete and coach provided an important foundation for his entry into refereeing, which he began in 2010. He said he worked to develop his skills and progress through the various officiating levels, earning domestic grades and then Arab grades “C,” “B” and “A,” before reaching the international level under the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO).
“I successfully passed the international ‘C’ grade, and today I have achieved my ambition of earning grade ‘B.’ This achievement gives me greater motivation to continue working hard, with the aim of reaching the highest level of international officiating, grade ‘A,’ in the coming years,” Nassar said.
He added that the next stage would require more work, development and experience to strengthen his presence on the international officiating scene and enable him to represent Jordan in a manner befitting the reputation of Jordanian sport.
For his part, referee Rami Al-Huwaitat said persistence and continuous work were the foundation for achieving goals. He explained that his ambition to earn international grade “C” had been the starting point for further development before he and Nassar secured promotion to grade “B” at the world tournament.
“Approximately 150 referees from around the world took part in the examinations,” Al-Huwaitat said, noting that the two successfully passed the theoretical and practical requirements. They were among 20 referees who received promotions and were also awarded the gold badge and honoured by international federation officials and tournament organisers at the closing ceremony.
He said his passion for kickboxing extended back many years, during which he competed as an athlete and worked as a coach, winning various medals with his club and the national teams before continuing his involvement in the sport through coaching and refereeing.
Al-Huwaitat stressed that his ambition was to continue achieving officiating milestones for Jordan and help strengthen Jordanian kickboxing’s presence internationally, in line with the aspirations of the country’s athletes, referees and national sports personnel.
At the same time, Nassar and Al-Huwaitat expressed disappointment over the lack of support and attention given to their efforts, despite participating in the tournament to represent Jordan and achieve a new milestone for national sport.
They explained that they had covered all participation costs themselves, including travel and accommodation, driven by their belief in the importance of developing their officiating careers and raising Jordan’s profile at international events. They stressed that the achievement reflected the presence of Jordanian talent and its ability to reach world-class levels through persistence and hard work.
“We participated in the tournament to represent our country and Jordanian sport, with national achievements as our goal. We were honoured to reaffirm the presence of Jordanian kickboxing at this world event, alongside the accomplishments of the champions from Al-Aqsa Club and Abdullah Amer Club,” Al-Huwaitat said.
Nassar added that what surprised them was the lack of contact from the sport’s federation after they returned from their trip, even to congratulate them on their achievement at the World Cup, despite their participation being aimed at representing Jordanian sport and raising its profile internationally.
He concluded by stressing that their achievement would motivate them to continue their careers and improve their performance, as they seek further milestones that strengthen Jordanian kickboxing officiating. They expressed hope that national talent would receive greater attention and support to help it continue participating and competing in upcoming international events.
Source: Al-Ghad.
By Mustafa Balo.
