Association Plans Training For 1,400 Referees

Vice-President, Nigeria
Referees Association (NRA), Tade Azeez, has said more than 1,400 referees would participate in the fourth quarter fitness test organised by the NRA.
Azeez told newsmen in Abuja at the beginning of the test that the referees, apart from the FIFA-badge ones, would be tested according to their geo-political zones.
He said “we are starting with the national referees and today (Monday) is for the South-East and South-South zone, while Tuesday will be for the South-West zone alone.
“Those from the North-Central zone will be tested on Wednesday and Thursday will be for the North-East and North-West zone.
“Lastly, the FIFA badge referees who are our international referees will have their own test on Friday.’’
The NRA vice president added that the essence of the test was to ascertain the fitness level of referees before the start of the new football season.
He said “we want to ensure that our referees are fit before the start of another season because the first thing that a referee needs is to be fit, and the only way to ascertain that is what we are doing now.
“We want to know their fitness level to be on the safe side, so, we are testing every referee that is qualified to officiate in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria National League (NNL).’’
Azeez, however, noted that those who failed the test would not be opportuned to officiate in the next season.
“Those that are not fit will be dropped, while new intakes will be given opportunity.
“The kind of test we run here is an open thing that everyone will see that a referee cannot go further and there is nothing anybody can do about it.
“So, everyone knows who passed and who failed, it is not that anyone will sit down somewhere to pass or fail people.
“And there is no way we can manipulate the result because it is an open thing, so, anybody that did not make it cannot be part of our league next season.’’
The test entails medical and physical test.