Men's
World Cup female referee wants the competition to shine
Referee
Yoshimi Yamashita from Japan agrees with Pelé or whoever it was who coined the
phrase "beautiful game" for soccer decades ago.
FIFA
has chosen Yamashita as one of three female referees for the men's World Cup in
Qatar, which begins on November 21. On soccer's biggest stage, a woman will
hold the reins for the first time.
Let
the game shine, as it should, is how she sees her role in the process.
In
an interview with the Associated Press on Monday in Tokyo, she stated that
"one of the primary goals as a referee is to bring out the appeal of
soccer." "I will work hard to achieve that goal and take the
appropriate action as it arises. So, I will do it if I need to talk to the
guys. I will display a card if required to do so. Instead of exercising
control, I'm considering what to do to highlight soccer's attraction."
The
other women chosen are Salima Mukansanga of Rwanda and Stéphanie Frappart of
France. There are a total of 36 referees. In addition, FIFA picked three female
assistant referees from a pool of 69 candidates: Kathryn Nesbitt from the
United States, Karen Diaz Medina from Mexico, and Neuza Back from Brazil.
The
three of them will probably oversee the games, but it's not a given.
Additionally, they would serve as "fourth referees" on the sidelines.
They cannot, however, be utilised as helpers.
Massimo
Busacca, FIFA's director of officiating, said in a statement that "each
match official will be carefully watched in the coming months with a final
assessment on technical, physical, and medical elements to be made shortly
before the World Cup."
The
choice of Yamashita draws attention to Japan's dismal performance in
international studies of gender equality and on most indicators of equal pay
for women.
According
to research conducted by the U.S. Congressional Research Service and released a
few months ago, only 14.3% of the seats in the national legislature of Japan
are held by women, placing Japan 152nd out of 190 nations. In a different study
on the gender wage gap, Japan was ranked 120th out of 156 nations.
Yamashita
declared, "I would be extremely glad if women could have an active role in
sports in this way, and if sports, particularly soccer, could lead this.
"Female engagement in soccer in Japan still has a long way to go, so it
would be great if this could relate to the promotion of female participation in
other ways, not just in soccer or in sports," said one observer.
In
Japan, women's soccer has taken the lead. The Japanese ladies won the women's
World Cup in 2011, finished in second place in 2015, and have continuously been
among the top teams in the sport.
On
Monday, just outside of Tokyo, Yamashita exercised while sweltering in
temperatures that reached 35 C. (95 F). She chuckled when it was pointed out
that games in Qatar, which is on the Arabian Peninsula, will be held in
air-conditioned stadiums during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
Yamashita
seems unperturbed by the obvious pressure during the interview. She has officiated
matches in both the Asian version of the men's Champions League and the men's J
League in Japan. She also managed matches in the Tokyo Olympics the previous
year.
"Naturally,
I think there is a lot of pressure, and I think I have a lot of responsibility,
she remarked. However, I am quite delighted to accept this responsibility and
pressure, therefore I make an effort to view it positively and to be
joyful."
She
talked about how exciting it was to leave the waiting area right before a game.
I
suppose it makes me feel better at the time. That seems to be when I shift
gears the most, he spoke.
She
claimed that speed was the primary distinction between the men's and women's
games. But it's not only that some men might be faster runners.
It's
the pace, but not only the speed of the players, she continued. "Not the
pace of the ball. Just the speed of the game. It requires more quickness from
me in terms of my decision-making."
The
majority of the conversation was held in Japanese, however, Yamashita stated
that when speaking with players in Qatar, she would utilise English and
"facial motions, body signals."
She
switched to English and continued, "Usually when I give a card, I say
nothing." "However, whenever I issue a warning, I only express my
displeasure. They are aware."