In a significant move to enhance the development and standardisation of squash officiating worldwide, World Squash Officiating (WSO) is pleased to welcome our latest partner nations, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka, from the Asian Squash Federation. A signing ceremony took place this past weekend, with Malaysia taking their first steps in adopting the WSO methodology and framework for referee development in Asia, marking a crucial commitment to improving squash officiating in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions.
By integrating the WSO methodology, our partners will streamline training, certification, and appraisals for referees, creating a unified process for referee education that aligns with the global systems used by the PSA and WSF.
With PSA Squash Tour events taking place in Malaysia, Singapore, Qatar and Hong Kong, WSO has already begun the initial phases of work and development with our partner nations. On Semi-Finals Day at the ACE Malaysia Cup, we delivered a workshop for 15 referees around interference and directives, which was followed by an official signing ceremony with SRAM (Squash Rackets Association Malaysia) President, Gerard Monteiro (pictured above).
Kellvintra Breshant Selveraj, SRAM Referees Director, expressed, “We are thrilled to officially sign with WSO this weekend, marking a pivotal moment for squash officiating in Malaysia. This partnership will enhance our refereeing standards and open up new pathways for our officials.”
The SRFI (Squash Rackets Federation of India) is excited to have already signed with WSO and is moving forward with developing their referee pathway. K. S. Srikanth, Director Referees SRFI, stated, “Having already signed with WSO, we are excited to be moving forward with the development of our referee pathway. This collaboration not only strengthens our officiating framework but also elevates the sport of squash in India.”
As the first nation to sign with WSO, Sri Lanka has set a precedent for squash officiating development in the region, demonstrating a strong commitment to elevating the standards of refereeing.
We will also be delivering remote workshops with 23 selected high-performance officials in India and further in-person workshops with referees, players, and coaches, showcasing the breadth of opportunities offered by WSO. Additionally, workshops will be held with officials in Singapore and Hong Kong, surrounding their events and the WSF World Teams Championships, respectively.
Reflecting on the partnership, Head of WSO, Lee Drew, said, “We are pleased to welcome Malaysia, India, and Sri Lanka as member nations of WSO and look forward to collaboratively developing an effective pathway for officials within the ASF continental federation. This is an exciting phase of growing WSO partners within the Asian continent as we work together towards standardising officiating.”
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