At the World Junior Championships in Madrid, hardly anybody talks about the umpires; this is not negative, because umpires normally only achieve focus when something is wrong. After the Boys’ Team final, China’s coach even praised the umpires. The good performances in the Spanish capital are the result of several efforts made by the ITTF and its Umpires and Referee Committee during recent years.
Change of Thinking in the Chinese Team “I think the umpires are very, very good,” Li Yi was quoted after the team final. “Sometimes they decide on illegal service against us, but we try to find the reason by ourselves.”
Last year in Palo Alto, the Chinese team coach as well as the players sometimes protested loudly against decisions taken by the umpires. “This time we educated our players to cool down in these moments. Now they don’t complain after a decision against them.”
Umpires on Duty in Madrid Forty umpires from 24 countries take care that all the matches go the right way. One out of three International Umpires (IU) from a foreign country is female. The youngest IU is only 19 years old; the oldest ones are in an age of retirement.
Some umpires are analysed and evaluated by Bertus Schotmeijer as well as the chairman of the Umpires and Referee Committee Albert Rooijmans. One of the requirements for achieving the Blue Badge is a personal evaluation.
Japan’s Koki Niwa can hardly wait to see if the colour he chose is on top; a toss is conducted before each match. Photo by Rémy Gros
