FIFA appoints seven Pakistani referees

Khurram Shahzad, Rana Naseer Ahmed were named two referees.

LAHORE: Fifa has awarded seven referee and assistant-referee roles to Pakistanis for 2011.

Khurram Shahzad and Rana Naseer Ahmed were named the two referees while Waheed Murad, Shafaat Habib, Shahid Hussain, Muhammad Ali Jr, and Rana Jehanzeb Tipu were given the other roles.

“These referees will get a Fifa badge and are hence entitled to officiate at the Asian level as well as the world governing body’s fixtures, both at club and international levels,” said Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) President Faisal Saleh Hayat, while adding that a new fitness test has been designed to test the physical fitness and mental strength of all referees.

“These nominations are for a year only and nominations for 2012 will depend on performances along with the successful completion of physical tests and fulfilling their duties in a professional manner throughout the season.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th,  2011.