- Sham Al-Ghamdi hopes to gain recognition from the 抖阴短视频n Football Federation and become a FIFA-certified international football referee.
抖阴短视频鈥檚 first female football referee already has her sights set on taking charge of a World Cup match.
鈥淚 spend hours reading and listening to advice from refereeing experts,鈥� 22-year-old Sham Al-Ghamdi told Arab News. 鈥淭o referee a World Cup match would be a dream come true.鈥�
Al-Ghamdi, who is studying English literature at university, said her interest in football began when she was only nine.
鈥淥ne day I saw players in a match voice their anger at a referee鈥檚 decision. I wished at that moment I was in the referee鈥檚 shoes,鈥� she said.
鈥淪ince then I have been following football events on TV, listening to the pundits鈥� comments and analyzing the performance of the referee.鈥�
Al-Ghamdi鈥檚 passion for football came as a surprise to her family.
鈥淢y father is not interested in football. When he heard about my hobby, he only advised me to avoid injuries as much as I could. He cannot bear seeing me hurt,鈥� she said.
The young referee hopes to undertake more intensified training courses to help her dream of officiating a World Cup match come true.
鈥淚 am optimistic and ambitious. The sky is the limit,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have enough information about officiating matches. I read about all the old and modern rules approved by the FIFA in order to acquire the basic skills an amateur referee needs.鈥�
Al-Ghamdi said that she had learned to manage football matches through personal participation and by watching experienced referees.
When she faced difficulties getting the necessary official permits, she focused on refereeing friendly matches.
鈥淚 did my best to avoid mistakes in the first-ever women鈥檚 championship in Jeddah. Good referees ensure safe games,鈥� she said.
鈥淣ow I am happy that my dream to become a referee has come true. Saudi women can achieve success in the sports sector and they can take part in world championships. We are no less than men. We only need support,鈥� she said.
Al-Ghamdi said that she hopes to gain recognition from the 抖阴短视频n Football Federation (SAFF) and become a FIFA-certified international football referee.
Saudis should work hand in hand to improve standards in science, culture and sport, she said.
鈥淲e need to support one another to develop our society on all levels. Without that we can鈥檛 make the changes we are dreaming of,鈥� she added.