Minister of Sports and Youth H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani poses for a photo with the participants and officials at the winter camp for elite referees.
Doha, Qatar: Minister of Sports and Youth H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, visited the winter camp for elite referees currently underway at the Hilton Doha Hotel, in the presence of Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Hani Taleb Balan.
During the visit, Sheikh Hamad closely followed the latest developments in referees’ work, ensuring their physical and technical readiness ahead of the resumption of local tournaments. He also reviewed the camp program and its objectives.
Minister of Sports and Youth H E Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani with Deputy Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee Hani Taleb Balan.
Meeting with the referees, Sheikh Hamad emphasised the importance of their role on the field, expressing his happiness when referees reflect the true image of Qatari football and deliver high standards in both local and international competitions.
He assured full support for referees, appreciating their work and urging them to continue striving for excellence in all tournaments, without being affected by external pressures.
He highlighted the referees’ resilience, citing the performance of the Qatari crew at the recently-concluded FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, which managed matches under high technical standards and large audiences, a result of the entire refereeing system’s efforts.
Sheikh Hamad also noted that the Qatari refereeing project is among the most successful in Qatari football.
Until around 2003, Qatari referees managed only 5% of local matches; today, they cover 100%, with foreign referees participating solely for experience exchange.
The Minister expressed his gratitude to all involved in the refereeing system, including Hani Taleb Balan, technical expert Valentin Ivanov, committee members, lecturers, and trainers for their efforts in preparing referees and improving the arbitration system.
For his part, Hani Talib Balan praised the Minister’s visit, noting that Sheikh Hamad is the biggest supporter of referees and recognizes the importance of the system.
He added that the Minister recently allocated additional training fields for referees, reflecting continuous support for Qatari refereeing.
Balan said the visit provides moral encouragement and motivates referees to maintain high standards.
