This Singaporean Is The 1st Asian Officiating As A VAR Referee At The 2022 World Cup
Muhammad Taqi Jahari has been refereeing since he was 16-years-old.
By Nurul Qistina — 22 Nov 2022, 12:43 PM
Singaporean referee Muhammad Taqi Jahari has been chosen as one of the 129 video match officials (VMO) for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
His job scope will involve him operating the video assistant referee (VAR) system, which helps officials make more accurate decisions with the help of video technology.
He will be the fifth Singaporean referee to officiate in the World Cup and the first Asian VMO at the competition.
The 36-year-old has been refereeing since he was 16
Taqi said he signed up for a refereeing course at the tender age of 16, along with his friends.
Three years later, 19-year-old Taqi officiated his first Singapore Premier League match, which made him more enthusiastic in the respective field.
Taqi also had the honour of officiating several major sporting events in the following years, including the AFC Asian Cup and the recent Tokyo Olympics.
"I felt that this was an opportunity for me to go forward to the next level, probably at the international level in the years to come," he shared his thoughts with CNA, as he officiated more football matches as the years passed by.
"That was where my passion developed, my interest for refereeing developed more and I decided to take the refereeing more seriously, rather than more like a pastime or leisure."
Taqi expressed his feelings upon receiving a call regarding his assigned job during a meeting
When asked about his reaction to the news, Taqi said that he was totally surprised.
He recalled his phone "buzzing continuously". The meeting also ended abruptly before news of his appointment was presented.
Before the tournament, referees undergo about 10 days of physical, technical, and theoretical training.
"As part of theoretical training, referees analyse videos of past matches and past "situations" for the teams that will be playing in the World Cup," Taqi said in an interview with CNA.
Taqi flew off to Qatar on 9 November to finally live up to his hard work as a VMO referee.
Taqi at the airport before flying off to Qatar for FIFA 2022 World Cup.
Image via Football Association of Singapore (Facebook)