Yamashita proud of ‘dream’ World Cup role
TOKYO: Yoshimi Yamashita said she felt “pride and responsibility” on Friday after being named one of three woman referees for Qatar, a first for the men’s World Cup.
Football’s governing body FIFA made history Thursday by selecting Japan’s Yamashita alongside Stephanie Frappart of France and Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga on a list of 36 referees for the World Cup.
Three women officials were also named on a list of 69 assistant referees for the first time.
The 36-year-old Yamashita had already broken new ground after becoming the first woman to take charge of an Asian Champions League match last month.
Now she will help break down another barrier when she flies to Qatar this winter, something she previously felt was “a dream I couldn’t even have thought about”.
“It’s a great honour to be chosen to referee at the World Cup in Qatar and I have only feelings of gratitude for everyone,” Yamashita told reporters in Tokyo.
“I will take the feeling of pride and responsibility as a Japanese heading into the tournament and I will prepare to make it a success to the best of my abilities.”
Frappart is the highest-profile of the three referees, having taken charge of men’s matches in the UEFA Champions League, French league and World Cup qualifiers.
Yamashita has been steadily building her reputation in Asia, also becoming the first woman to referee a match in Japan’s professional J-League last year.
She will be Japan’s sole refereeing representative – man or woman – at the World Cup.
Yamashita’s experience of refereeing in the J-League has so far been limited to the third division.
She said she will need to “be able to cope with the speed and the flow of games” at the World Cup but she is confident she will be physically ready. — AFP