The World Squash Federation (WSF) is delighted to announce that today, on Commonwealth Day, the team of squash referees and other officials for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has been confirmed.
Two of squash’s most experienced and respected referees have been designated as Tournament Referees and will be tasked with leading officiating throughout the Games.
For the singles competition, the Tournament Referee will be Wales’ Roy Gingell, while England’s John Massarella will oversee the doubles. Both are prominent referees who are actively involved in World Squash Officiating and in developing the next generation of referees.
In line with the Commonwealth Games Federation strategy of a more affordable and sustainable Commonwealth Games, the number of referees has been reduced from 29 in 2018 to 18.
Reflecting on this, WSF President Zena Wooldridge said: “Every now and again we need reminding how critical referees are to the sport. For Birmingham, we made a conscious decision to work with a smaller team of referees, which we believe will deliver a more effective solution for this and future games, whilst providing a better experience for referees and players.
“Globally, squash is entering a new era, where the role of referees is given greater prominence and more investment to drive a more diverse and high-quality future referee workforce. Birmingham 2022 is an initial stage of that journey and we congratulate those referees who are part of the team.”
Seven Commonwealth nations are represented in the officiating pool. As the home nation, England is the most represented with ten officials, many of whom have come through the Mission 2022 referee development programme, which was established in 2018 with the purpose of creating a younger and more diverse refereeing community.
Commenting on her selection, England’s Andrea Santamaria said: “It’s great to be chosen. Refereeing at the Commonwealth Games is a great privilege; I’m excited to referee at the Games for the first time and am really looking forward to being there.”
England Squash CEO Mark Williams added: “Congratulations to all these referees. Their selection rewards their commitment over the last four years to improve their refereeing skills and application. They have achieved this despite the impact of Covid on the events programme and the limited opportunities to practice.
“There is no doubt the creation of the Mission 2022 project has led to a line-up of home referees more reflective of the next generation of referees, replacing those loyal referees who has served our sport so well over the last 30 years. Our aim is to ensure British referees feature strongly amongst the world’s best in future. We still have work to do, but the Birmingham 2022 project has been a critical catalyst on that journey and an important part of the sport’s legacy from the Games.”
Full list of Birmingham Commonwealth Games officials:
Nik Adriana Aida (Malaysia), Mike Campbell (England), Glen Carson (New Zealand), Mike Collins (South Africa), Steve Eccles England), Jason Foster England), Peter Hindmarsh England), Phil Rea England), Andrea Santamaria (England), Srikanth K. Seshadri (India), Ashley Smith (England), Mekhala Srivasta (India), Lucy Townley (England), Janet Udy (New Zealand) and Russell Weatherburn (Australia), with Judy Williams (England) appointed as Assistant Tournament Referee.