The FUFA physical fitness test for Elite and National Refererees were held at MTN Omondi Stadium in Lugogo over the weekend.
The Referees were taken through their paces to check on their fitness levels by the Federation.
“We have held the physical fitness test for our referees, we didn’t test the referees four times as recommended by FIFA last year due to Covid19 but this year 2021 we are testing them for the first quarter to see whether they are medically fit then check their physical fitness in order to ascertain whether they can ably be assigned matches,” said Chairman Referees Association Ronnie Kalema.
“We do this because we want to be the number one footballing nation in Africa, and we can’t achieve that if we don’t have top referees.
“We have been having a few incidents here and there in our top league and the stakeholders have been complaining, so we test the referees to make sure they are fit to handle the matches.”
There have been several cases this season about officiating in Uganda Premier League, highlighted by the ugly scenes at Kitende when Police goalkeeper Derrick Ochan was wrongly sent off against Vipers.
Kalema says that the standard of refereeing in Uganda is “good.”
He explained: “Every year, the laws of the game are amended so every June to July, IFAB amends the laws and when our referees work within the amended laws, some of the stakeholders think they are not doing the right thing.
“We haven’t got to the stakeholders, say the clubs, to teach them the amended laws of the game. We will do that come next month so that what the referees are doing on the pitch, the clubs understand.”
Kalema also added that FUFA targets to have a referee (s) at the 2022 World Cup.
“We are privileged to have our officials on international level, Dickson Okello has been at CHAN, though its sad that we missed out because of Covid19, the tested referee had Covid, that’s why we didn’t have one at AFCON U20.
“Referee William Oloya is going for AFCON U17. We are working to have a referee at the World Cup come 2022.”
