BY ROMULUS HUTA
A total of 10 referees across all football codes from Solomon Islands have been accredited with FIFA badges for this year.
This is for all three football codes namely conventional 11-aside, futsal and beach soccer.
The total figure this year is a reduction by two from the total of number of Solomon Islands referees accredited with FIFA badges last year. Last year there were a total of 12 referees.
The list this year saw two referees dropped from being accredited with FIFA badge. They are Simon Kwaimani for beach soccer and veteran famous soccer referee Nelson Sogo for the conventional 11-aside.
Due to aging purposes, Sogo has retired and his name will go down as one of the longest-serving FIFA referees from Solomon Islands.
The FIFA-badge accreditation allows referees to be eligible to officiate in top level football matches across the globe.
Like the 2017 list, no female referees receive FIFA-badge accreditation for this year.
The Solomon Islands soccer referees body paced in a submission for one of the female referees to the FIFA Referees Committee last year but was turned down.
The names of the FIFA referees for this year were approved last year and their appointments came to be effective as of January 1, 2018.
The 2017 FIFA badge holders cease to be valid after December 31.
Meanwhile, Nelson Poloso of Solomon Islands extends his term as a member of the FIFA Referees Committee for another year.
See below are names of the 2018 FIFA badge holders.
REFEREES:
George Time (International since 2010)
ASSISTANT REFEREE
ERICK Johnny (International since 2013)
METE Douglas (International since 2013)
MUTUKERA Bernard Alu Paekera (International since 2015)
SENIGA Stephen (International since 2010)
SOLODIA Jeffrey Asipara (International since 2015)
FUTSAL REFEREE
KAMUSU Rex (International since 2011)
MANA Philip (International since 2011)
RONI Francis Loxie (International since 2014)
BEACH SOCCER REFEREE
PADO Hugo (International since 2010)
