Kuwait City, Kuwait, March 26, 2022: The first phase of the Olympic Council of Asia special development project for coaches and referees from 12 National Olympic Committees in West Asia ended on Saturday, March 26, with organisers declaring it as an unqualified success.
“This is the first time we have done such a programme and I’m pleased to say that everything went off smoothly. Of course, we can always improve and learn, but the initial feedback I have received from the referees and coaches is that they have all benefited and want more,” said Tony Tarraf, OCA Head of Athletes Development Department and Special Projects.
The first phase, from March 22-26, involved coaches and referees in handball, swimming and volleyball, participating in both practical and theory lessons. It was carried out by an expert panel of instructors from International Federations (FINA and IHF for swimming and handball respectively) and the Asian Federation for volleyball.
“We are very grateful for the support we received from the International Federations as well as the Asian Federations, who have sent some of their best people to run our programme. The knowledge they have is invaluable and I’m certain this will go a long way in the development of our coaches and referees,” Tarraf noted.
The 12 NOCs taking part in this inaugural development project are Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and hosts Kuwait.
The second phase, also for three sports – football, gymnastics and judo – gets underway on Sunday, March 27 and ends on March 31. The third and last phase for athletics, basketball and table tennis will take place from May 7-12, after the month of Ramadan in April.