Report by Benito Martinez:
QIUC 2023
On the weekend of the 12nd and 13th of August, Boosabum Koen Hoerée and Sabum Benito Martinez participated in the Qualifiying International Umpire Course organized by the ITF’s Umpire Commitee. The course – which took place by Zoom- was given by GrandMasters Abelardo Benzaquem and Gordon Wallace, resp. President and member of the commitee.
On the first day the variations and details on individual patterns and sparring competitions rules were reviewed and discussed by the instructors and participants as well as ring settings and protocols. The instructors insisted on the necessity for the umpires to develop the physical and mental skills that are so important to do a good job, being sharp, fair and caring about competitors.
On the second day after a questions and answers session on the precedent issues, were analyzed the rules on power breaking, special techniques, team tul and -sparring, procedures, and ring settings in each case. During the whole seminar the tasks of the different umpire’s positions were well defined and analyzed, as Jury President, Jury Member, Center and Corner Umpire.
It was a very instructive and useful Umpire Course in which participated more than a hundred GM, Masters, Instructors and assistants, many of them selected to officiate in the next World Championships in Tampere, Finland.