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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Referees Committee will hold a three-day refresher course for Class One and Two referees in Bulawayo from today up to Sunday amid an outcry from the participants that the course fees are too high.The committee is however insisting that the fees are in line with the costs and value of the course.
Referees who spoke on condition of anonymity said they felt $100 was too much given the fact that most referees rarely get game time and the few who do are paid very little.
“Class One referees are paid $60 per match while their assistants get $50 and it’s not every week that one gets a match.
“These people are just fundraising because they know it’s their last year before elections next year,” fumed one referee.
They said they had been warned that those who fail to attend the course would not officiate at games.
Acting Zimbabwe Referees Committee president Ndumiso Gumede defended the fees charged and reminded the referees that there was nothing called free.
“They should break down that figure in terms of the number of days the course is running.
“The fees to me are reasonable,” said Gumede.
He confirmed that only those referees who will attend this weekend’s course will be allowed to officiate as per Fifa requirements.
“Fifa requires that we have four courses per year and if a referee misses this one, it means he or she will not have game time until they attend the next course,” said Gumede.
Meanwhile, Fifa international female referee Stella Ruvinga will not be part of the Fifa international referee for the 2014 season after she failed a high level Fifa referees course held in Harare last week.
“The course that was held in Harare will be used to recommend our referees to the 2014 Fifa international referees’ list.
“Four referees failed, among them Ruvinga and the law requires that they undergo a retest after six weeks but unfortunately that will be well after the set deadline of submission of nominees,” said Gumede.
Fifa set 20 September as the deadline for all its 209 national associations to submit names of their proposed 2014 referees.
Ruvinga failed together with Albert Dube, Adam Mutenha and Munyaradzi Majoni.
Online Reporter