Local badminton umpire, Emmanuel Saakane, 40, is one of the shortlisted line judges for the World Junior Championships which were initially scheduled for September 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19, the Championships have since been postponed to January 2021.
Nevertheless, Saakane told Voice Sport in an interview on Tuesday that he is delighted to have been given an opportunity to officiate at such a level.
“International assignments are always a massive experience for me as I get to learn the improved laws of the sport,” he said.
Saakane said the skills transfer from the tournament will in the long run also benefit his colleagues locally.
The highly ambitious Saakane who has been a line judge since 2008 said Badminton World Federation (BWF) laws changes almost every year, meaning they’ve to continuously inform themselves.
“Learning never stops and the game changes rapidly. Therefore getting international exposure once in a while helps to keep one up to date with the international trends,” Saakane said.
The veteran official is not new to the international stage.
He has officiated at prestigious tournaments such as Surdiman Cup in Donguan, China back in 2015, Dubai World Cup Series in 2016, the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia and the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aries, Argentina.
In conclusion Saakane revealed that he plans to transition to umpiring as time goes on.
“I’d really like to be a BWF umpire and I believe I’m confident I’ll get there,” he said.
