Esther Staubli ends women referees’ wait, gives hope
NEW DELHI: Esther
Staubli did what most referees do during the Japan-new Caledonia FIFA U-17 World Cup match on Saturday. She blew her whistle in case of a foul, kept a watchful eye over players and made sure impartiality reigns on field. Yet, in those ordinary looking actions, the Swiss lady achieved something extraordinary.
Staubli, in course of officiating the Group E match which ended in a draw, became the first female referee in 16 years at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The last time a woman officiated a FIFA U-17 match was South Korean Im Eun Ju at the 2001 edition.
The 38-year-old teacher in an agricultural school in Switzerland, Staubli, had earlier officiated in Women’s World Cup and Olympics matches, but officiating in a men’s match was a first for her.
After the match, Esther Staubli was nonchalant in saying that she did not feel any emotions during the match. “It was a match like any other one. Later on maybe there will be more emotions, or I will realise it was something special, but before I really tried to prepare like it was a normal match and do my best,” she said.
She also made it clear that when it comes to referring, it’s doesn’t
really matter if it’s a male or female.
“It was nice that they liked me as a referee, and that they just looked at me like a normal referee. I think there is not a big difference in whether it was a male or female referee, it is the performance that counts,” she said.
Dominique Wacalie, New Caledonia coach, appreciated her efforts and said she showed the world that there was no difference between a male and a female referee.
“(Staubli) did a great job and we have nothing to criticise. I think it is good for the football in general. She helped the teams to play well. The players respected her, so there was no difference to a man. I hope this is not the last time we see this,” Wacalie said.
Apart from Staubli, there were six other women referees at the U-17 World Cup who worked as fourth officials. They came from different confederations: Ri Hyang Ok (North Korea), Gladys Lengwe (Zambia), Carol Anne Chenard (Canada), Claudia Umpierrez (Uruguay), Annamarie Keighley (New Zealand), Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine).