Five Tobago football referees joined 25 of their Trinidad counterparts in a five-day FIFA/RAP Development Course which was held at the Plaza de Montrose in Chaguanas, Trinidad. Male officials Keon Yorke, Merville Wallace and Arendel Brewster along with female referees Opra Douglas and Tricia Des Vignes participated in the specialised programme geared at preparing national referees for possible appointment to the FIFA panel.
The course that commenced last Friday was a collaboration with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association and Trinidad and Tobago Referees Accociation. Referees from six regional associations: North, Central, South, Eastern Counties and Tobago were instructed in the technical aspects of refereeing and health and fitness. Former Jamaican FIFA referee Peter Prendegast headed a team of ex-FIFA instructors in Boni Bishop, Micheal Ragoonauth, Bevon Spencer and Michele Lynch in conducting the workshop.
The fitness test, which was an important part of the course was conducted August 10 at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
All five local referees were successful in the test which included six 40-metre sprints and 20 runs of 150 metres each.
The official opening of the workshop took place last Friday with TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee and head of the Referees’ Department, Ramesh Ramdhan in attendance. Chairman of the Referees’ Committee, Brian Lane, and president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Referees’ Association, Joseph Taylor were also in attendance.