The four officials for last Sunday's playoff for 3rd and 4th places between Argentina and Burkina Faso in the FIFA Under 17 Football Tournament at the Hasley Crawford Stadium, comprised three women and one man. The only three women who had been selected to officiate at the tournament.
Im Eun Ju (called Tiger), 35 years old, from South Korea, a professional referee, the only professional female referee in the world, was the fourth official, a position filled strictly by International Referees as if anything happened to either the referee or assistant referees, the fourth referee must fill in.
While 32-year old Ana Isabel Perez Assante, a pre-school teacher from Peru, and 31 year old Jackeline Anayawsi Saez Blanquce, a public servant from Panama, were the two Assistant Referees. FIFA qualified referees also, who have elected to operate at the level of International Assistant Referees or linesmen as they were called before, rather than as International referees.
In football, referees must choose their specialty, either as a Referee or as an Assistant Referee. Ana, already ten years an assistant referee, seven at international level, and Jackeline, seven years an assistant referee, five at international, have already decided that they will not change their specialty as "the idea of coming off for a year to be upgraded will cost in time and money as when you indicate to your Association that you want to operate as a referee, you have to come off the international list of assistants for one year." In that period of time you officiate as referees to develop special skills and prove you are capable at that level. The country then nominates you for upgrade to FIFA'S International Referees list.
Since this interview was only granted by the FIFA authority if I promised not to publish it until the tournament had ended, at the time of the interview on the Thursday prior to the final Sunday, none of the three knew whether she would be appointed to any of the finals. What they all did know was that they had not been sent home, so the possibility of being used on Sunday still existed.
With Boni Bishop, general secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Referees'Association, as translator, we were able to understand each other. Bishop and fifteen other members of the local Association were given the job "to make the lives of the visiting referees easier so that when they go out on the field that is all they have to think about." The three women had already officiated together during the tournament, and said the most senior, the South Korean professional who was mainly accustomed to officiating with male assistants, "it's okay, but I would have liked some male assistants who are usually more experienced." Whereas the two Assistant Referees found it "the same working with a female referee as with a male."
Ju, a referee for eight years, five years FIFA qualified and three years a pro, refereed at the Women's World Cup in the United States in 1999 and at the Sydney Olympics. The under 17 tournament was the first time that women were appointed to a male tournament, and Bishop hopes it is the start of a new era where FIFA will be more comfortable appointing female officials.
In the Korean league, Ju does mostly men's games, and sometimes women's games which she finds more difficult than the men "because in the men's games the fouls are very clear, with the women and so many of them around, it is hard to see what is a foul or not. Also in a woman's game you are always checking the time as the game is slower and it is difficult to concentrate. With the men you get lost in the game so time goes by much faster and I prefer that situation." That was one of the reasons why the 37 hour journey from her country to the Caribbean was worthwhile "refereeing at a FIFA men's tournament, also I knew Bonie as an assistant referee and wanted to see her."
All still single, Tiger was definite "if marriage comes up I will retire, as a professional referee there are two games per week and I have to travel for five days away and just two days at home." Whereas Ana, whose boyfriend is a lawyer and referee, and Jackeline, who is unattached, feel that they will combine officiating at football games with marriage, if and when it happens. Ana, an assistant referee in the first division at home, gets two games per month at the highest level. Jackeline does one high level game a week.
To photographer Enrico Matthew's question "are the three of you as tight a unit off the field of play" they chorused "of course we are friends. We can exchange e-mails but if we can't it's okay, when we are at the tournament we always can meet and it's enough."
What were the three women's thoughts on being appointed as officials at the upcoming Men's World Cup, brought the immediate response "Everybody wants to go to the World Cup. Everybody hopes."