World Squash Officiating (WSO) condemns in the strongest possible terms the incident involving WSO referee Andrea Santamaria following the men’s semi-final match between Diego Elias and Mostafa Asal at the El Gouna International last night (April 9).
After administering a stroke against Asal during the match for breaching rule 14.6.3 ‘Unacceptable Player Conduct – Unnecessary Physical Contact’ and then a further conduct stroke for an accumulation of movement offences throughout that rally, Andrea was subjected to a physical threat from a spectator in the aftermath of the match.
Referees must be able to do their jobs without fear of violence. Disagreeing with a decision has never, and will never, justify threatening behaviour of any kind from players, coaches, or spectators alike.
Andrea’s decisions were in accordance with the World Squash Rules of Squash and we stand fully behind her. We will work closely with PSA and tournament organisers to ensure the individual responsible is identified and is prevented from attending PSA events in the future. We are grateful to the work of the security team on the ground in El Gouna who ensure the safety of our referees.
