ISLAMABAD:World Squash Officiating (WSO) has appointed Roy Gingell and Andrea Santamaria as squash’s first full-time professional referees.
Roy has been appointed as WSO’s Professional Referee and Development Lead. Roy was one of the sport’s most experienced referees and first began officiating in the 1980s. As well as officiating at the sport’s biggest tournaments, Roy will focus on the development and training of referees in addition to developing the appraisal process, said a press release issued here.
Meanwhile, Andrea would take on the role of Professional Referee and Educator. The Yorkshirewoman began her refereeing journey in 2013 and has established herself as one of the finest referees in the sport. Andrea would continue to officiate at the top level and will also work with Member Nations to support the development of their referees.
Roy said, “It’s a great honour to be appointed as one of the first full-time professional referees. With over 25 years of refereeing at the highest level, I am looking to share the wealth of knowledge and experience I have gained to support and develop refereeing all over the world.”
Andrea said, “It’s a huge privilege to become the first female professional referee in what can only be described as a new era in squash officiating, and hopefully I can inspire any aspiring female referees. I am excited to have the opportunity to work full time with a team that has so much knowledge and experience in the game of squash and who are invested in the development of referees around the world.”
Head of WSO Lee Drew said, “Employing two professional referees is an important first step towards professionalizing officiating and bridging the gap between the professional game and the referees who officiate at that level. This is about showing that refereeing can be a career for those that have the ability and want to be involved in the game beyond playing.”
“Referee development is also a vital element of the role, it’s about spreading a consistent message and sharing knowledge to increase the levels of officiating globally by working with federations. It is an exciting time and very progressive, but there is also a lot of work ahead for all involved,” he added.