The FIFA-MA Referees Course for the Tonga Football Association (TFA) concluded successfully on Saturday, 28th September, after five days of comprehensive training. The course was led by FIFA Referees Instructor, Jimmy Warai of Papua New Guinea, and was officially opened by TFA Chief Secretary, Lui ‘Aho, on Tuesday, 24th September.
The program aimed to enhance the skills of local referees by focusing on recent updates to the Laws of the Game and improving practical refereeing abilities. Head of Referees, Tevita Vea, described the importance of the course, explaining, “This week’s course is just a normal FIFA-MA Referees Course that is usually done on the MA every year. It focuses and prioritizes first on the changes, implemented on the laws of the game because every year the laws to the game change. Nowadays, they are changing laws closer to human rights, so this week was successfully run by Jimmy.”
A total of 23 referees participated, with five from Vava’u and three from ‘Eua Island. The course also included five instructor referees, with one from Vava’u, two from ‘Eua, and the remaining participants from Tongatapu.
The five-day course was structured with two days dedicated to theory and reviewing updates to the laws of the game, followed by practical sessions. The fourth day featured a fitness test to ensure that the referees were physically capable of meeting the demands of officiating. The referees were awarded certificates during the official closing ceremony on Saturday.
In his closing remarks, Jimmy Warai emphasized the importance of dedication and continuous self-improvement for referees to succeed at higher levels. “You must practice and train every day. You must beat yourself, but by doing that, you must walk the extra mile, do the extra, and you will end up like fellow referees here officiating in the big leagues and FIFA competitions,” Warai advised.
The successful completion of the course ensures that TFA referees are well-equipped with the latest knowledge and physical readiness to officiate both locally and internationally, contributing to the overall development of football in Tonga.
End.
