As the yearly Member Association, MA Course Programme for selected members of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) gets underway in Abuja, the President of the association, Otunba Tade Azeez, has explained that the exercise remains one of the training programmes to update referees on the laws of the game.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja during the morning session of the programme yesterday, Azeez opined that going by the packages of the teachings from informed instructors of FIFA; both international and local, referees are bound to gain richly from technical matters and physical fitness training inputs.
According to the NRA president, FIFA and Elite Referees as well as the Referees Assessors who are captured in the programmr are bound to be refreshed bountifully after each edition.
While appreciating the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) who made it possible each year for the referees to undergo the high capacity building training outreach, the NRA president implored the participants to reciprocate the NFF gesture by translating what they learnt from the training ground on the field of play.
“The referees’ body appreciates the decision of the federation to maintain the tempo of regular training for our members. I am hopeful my members shall reciprocate by delivering on best practices during matches at home and abroad”, Tade added.
National Publicity Secretary of the NRA, Kelechi Mejuobi, disclosed that the five days event with lead instructor, retired FIFA referee Lim Kin Chong of Mauritius who also doubles as the Vice Chairman of CAF Referees Committee has seen about 50 active referees undertake field and classroom engagements.
“Today, the Assessors shall take their turn for tutorials on how to take charge of referees and mentor them for the challenges ahead,” concludes the NRA spokesman.
