AMMAN — Ilham Khazneh made national basketball history in 2020,
after becoming the first woman to referee in the men’s premier league.
Last month, Khazneh, 30, fulfilled all the requirements
towards becoming an internationally licensed referee after completing an online
assessment on the rules and regulations of the game. She has also gone through
the rigorous physical fitness assessments organized by the International
Basketball Federation (FIBA).
“I have recently completed the requirements of an
international license. The accreditation will be issued by FIBA in either June
or September; depending on the international tournaments calendar,” Khazneh
told Jordan News in an interview.
She added: “Nominations for international referee badges are
done according to lists. Each country has a set number of seats and Jordan
happened to be on the whitelist this year, which I was nominated under, despite
it being allocated for men.”
“Due to current circumstances, this requirement was waived,
and I competed with one of my male colleagues for the international badge
nomination, where I eventually won,” Khazneh explained.
Khazneh holds a bachelor’s in sports rehabilitation from the
Hashemite University and a master’s in sports education from the University of
Jordan.
Speaking on the experience of officiating her first men’s
game, which brought Al-Ahli and Orthodox clubs face to face in the seventh
round of the Kumho Premier League in December last year.
“I felt anxious and happy all at once and fully aware of the
great responsibility to live up to all the support I had received, but there
are particular and major challenges when it comes to dealing with the sizes of
players and keeping up with their speed,” Khazneh said.
“Financial difficulties were the only obstacle I faced at
the beginning, apart from taboo culture. I could not secure the cost of
commuting to games at times because of the late disbursement of wages.”
Khazneh had to work at Adidas, then at gyms, before
completing her studies and being nominated for a lecturer position at
Al-Zaytoona University, where she currently works.
“My family stood by me and came with me to some of the games
held at night, which required long commutes. Had it not been for their
continuous support, I would not have made it this far,” Khazneh said.
Despite not having played sports professionally, preferring
to call it a hobby, Khazneh said “I was in constant turmoil between deciding to
go forward in sport, which I love, and following my parent’s wishes to study
nursing at a private university.”
“I am aiming for a PhD in sport and aspire to represent
Jordan at Arab and international events and championships. I also hope to get
the proper chance to officiate women’s world-cup basketball games,” Khazneh
said.
In a message to young women and girls, she said:
“Determination paves the way to achieve the impossible, and I would also like
to stress the importance of time management.”
The referee called on official bodies to support the march
of women in sports.
“Women in sports need
official support to carry forward in this journey, especially since their
achievements represent Jordan, and with that I would like to thank the
Jordanian Basketball Federation (JBF) for its continuous support for women and
athletes.”
Speaking on Khazneh’s achievements thus far, Nabil Abu Atta,
secretary general of the JBF, said that “Ilham Khazneh, after a 12-year wait,
managed to overcome the monopoly men have had over refereeing the premier
basketball league, proving that Jordanian women can handle such a responsibility
and stand toe to toe with men.”
“Ms. Khazneh has undergone immense pressure and she is now a
role model for ambitious women. Today, she is refereeing in the first Saudi
women’s basketball league and we, at the federation, will spare neither the
means nor the effort to support her and ensure that she receives the
international badge, to become the first Jordanian woman to win this honor,”
Abu Atta told Jordan News.
اضافة اعلان
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