PNGFA aims to improve standard

 TRAINING and improving more women in refereeing skills continues to be one area for the Papua New Guinea Football Association (PNGFA) as it aims to meet FIFA standards.

With PNGFA’s vision to involve more women in refereeing, the association ran a FIFA women’s referee course last week with 29 women from the member associations participated in a six-day workshop at the PNGFA Academy in Lae. 

The course was facilitated by American Sandra Serafini FIFA women’s referee instructor.

This was the first time for that a FIFA women’s referee course has been held in PNG. Its aim is to that equip more women to officiate in matches. 

PNGFA plans to have the women officiate more games in their respective associations.

During the week the women studied the different laws of the game, completed practical sessions. 

During the practicals, the women experienced lot of chances to make decisions for off-side, movements, calling fouls, direct free kicks, indirect free kicks and positioning.

PNGFA CEO Dimirit Mileng  said: “The game for women is developing very rapidly all over the world and now PNGFA has taken 

another step to develop women’s football and we need more women officials to help us reach that goal.

“The challenge is now on these women to put into practice what they learnt when going back to the associations.”  

Serafini said: “It’s been an incredible week for me working with these women. Their enthuasim and efforts have been so good.”

“It is the first step for a very long journey.”