By THADDEUS TIRIMAN
THE PAPUA New Guinea Softball Federation (PNGSF) is running an umpiring course before the National Softball championship in Port Moresby.
The course will be conducted by two trainers from the Oceania Softball Federation (OSF) and will be held two weeks before the championship.
Speaking as national coaching director, Joe Lumaris who is also the secretary-general of PNG Softball Federation, confirmed the umpiring course yesterday.
“Completion of the course can actually qualify our umpires to officiate in regional and world softball games. It will also set a benchmark for all umpires to perform as required of international standards. This is also in lead up to the accredited scheme that will be formulated to determine the level of umpiring performances by individual umpires and grade them accordingly,” he said.
The expenses for the course will be covered by the softball federation except for airline tickets for the two trainers which will be covered by the Oceania Softball Federation in Australia.
Umpires from all softball associations in PNG will be selected by the federation to attend the workshop according to their present performances.
“We want to get at least 20 umpires in the training and for gender equities sake allow 50-50 participation by both male and female.” Lumaris said
The national softball championship, which runs from March 21-24, will also serve as a practical ground for the participants.
“The course is in two parts, the theory part and also the practical part. Putting the programme two weeks before the national softball championship is good because we can use the championship as a practical ground.”
According to Lumaris, no major international training has been done for PNG softball since the last one in 1980 he is very happy about this one because it will definitely lift the standard of the game in the country.