The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Tuesday celebrated the achievements of its leading match officials at the start of the biggest-ever AFC Refereeing Conference which was held in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
The opening ceremony honored eight referees and assistant referees who were presented at the AFC Referees Memento Award.
The officials were recognized for their outstanding service in raising the refereeing standards in Asia.
Among the assistant referees who received the recognition were Kochkarov Bakhadyr of Kyrgyz Republic, China People’s Republic’s Cui Yongmei and Huo Weiming, Islamic Republic of Iran’s Reza Sokhandan and Singapore’s Lee Tzu Liang, all of whom have graced some of the biggest stages in world football.
AFC General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John, who opened the ceremony, said: “I’m proud to say that our Asian referees are among the best in the world.
Reza Sokhandan of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who has been a FIFA assistant referee for 17 years, said: "Thanks to the AFC for this award, this really means a lot to me. I’ve learned so much during my career and this year, Asian referees have performed well in AFC and FIFA tournaments."
"Being a top official is not easy. A referee must work hard and think professionally to stay competitive."
Referee Assessor Masoud Enayat couldn’t attend the event.
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