One exposure leads to another. After the exposure of poor administration by Sri Lanka Squash (SLS) in the Sunday Observer last week and the lack of tournaments conducted by them, the referees and coaches have now come out to criticize the inactivity of the governing body for squash.
Referees do not get a chance to get more exposure due to the lack of tournaments. They are not even sent overseas to gain more experience through foreign exposure. They are like ‘frogs in the well’ without being able to referee matches at a higher level.
According to an official in the sport, there are new methods and new rules that a referee has to learn. The referee must be updated with these new rules and methods and it will not happen if the governing body goes to sleep after conducting tournaments.
What they don’t realize is the importance of conducting refresher courses to update the referees. As such the present lot of referees are found to be making plenty of mistakes when refereeing matches locally.
Refereeing in squash is not that easy like refereeing a badminton or tennis match.
There are two players in the court and there are many possibilities of one player obstructing the other without being noticed. Sometimes, a player can appeal for a ‘let’ when that player had the chance to rally.
The correct decision can be arrived at only by a referee with a thorough knowledge and experience of having refereed at a very high level. This can be achieved only if a referee is sent to officiate at international tournaments held overseas. It is only then that the referee will be able to make the correct decisions when two top level players are contesting. It is up to SLS to request from foreign controlling bodies to have Sri Lanka referees to officiate in their tournaments. It is only when requests are made that Sri Lanka will be able to send their referees to officiate in tournaments at a high level.
Sri Lanka Squash can also make requests from referees of other countries to come and conduct courses in Sri Lanka. Surely, no one will refuse to help Sri Lanka in their endeavours.
Squash coaches are also very disappointed with the way the officials are passing their time without any ambitions. Nothing is done to upgrade the level of coaches in Sri Lanka. There are many level I coaches in the country and have no way of being elevated. There are only four level II coaches and only one level III coach. Without coaches with better knowledge in the methods in coaching, the players cannot improve to match with the standard of foreign players.
With the SAF Games coming up soon it is about time to improve the standards of Sri Lanka’s squash players. Sri Lanka have a good chance of winning a silver among the women and a bronze medal among the men players.
Upgrading the level of Sri Lanka’s squash coaches is possible only if SLS reaches out to other governing bodies to help out. There are coaches ever willing to come and conduct training camps and conduct level II or III examinations.