Omani karate referees get international badges

MUSCAT: Five Omani karate referees were awarded international badges during the Karate Premier League 1 Dubai 2019 held recently.

The Omani referees got the World Karate Federation’s international badges in kata and kumite after doing referee promotion course tests as part of the Dubai karate championship.

The course had been conducted under the supervision of the World Karate Federation in cooperation with Emirate Karate Federation.

As many as 240 male and female referees participated in the course at the Mariot Hotel hall in Dubai from February 10 to 14.

Omani referees who won the badges are Farid bin Mohammed al Shihaibi (kata and kumite), Salim bin Darwish al Qutaiti (kata), Salim bin Sulaiman al Masroori (kumite), Mohammed bin Khalifa al Hinai (kata) and Nasma Wanas (kata).

With these the total number of Omanis referees with international badges has become nine.

Ahmed bin Said al Zakwani , Yousuf bin Musallam al Siyabi , Sulaiman bin Khalifa al Hinai and Hilal bin Mohammed al Abdali had already got the badges.

International referees including continental referee Mohyi Lutfi took part in managing the contests of the world karate league championship — Karate Premier League 1 in Dubai.

The three days of championship was conducted under the auspices of His Highness Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Dubai Crown Prince and the chairman of Dubai Sports Council .

The event was held at the Alwasl Club hall in Dubai for the fourth straight time. As many as 737 male and female players representing 86 countries participated in the championship which was attended by Spaniard Antonio Asbinos, Chairman of the World Karate League, and his vicepresident Major General (retd) Nasser Abdul Razzaq al Razooqi, chairman of Emirates Karate Federation.

The event also served as a qualifying event for Tokyo Olympics 2020 after including karate in Olympics.