LAHORE, Sept 27: The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has appointed former international umpire and FIH course conductor Rashad Mehmood Butt as Regional Umpire Development Officer for Central Asia.

It was decided by AHF umpires’ committee chaired by secretary Masako Kamisuki of Japan, during Asian Hockey Federation’s 49th council meeting in Hyderabad Deccan, India.

“The AHF has drawn out a plan to promote young umpires in the continent where it will increase the number of young umpires in Asia. Compared to other zones, Asia has less number of young umpires in the age group below 35 to officiate in the international matches. So there is a need to increase the number of Asian umpires,” said Rashad, current Sports Officer of Pakistan Railways Sports Board who supervised international matches from 1994-2005 and also visited Muscat last January to act as umpires manager during second Men’s Junior AHF U-21 Tournament under the aegis of Oman Hockey Association (OHA).

“So far we have six men, including two trainees, in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) umpires’ managers panel from Asia. There are only two in the women’s category,” he said.

Rashad started his career as international umpire during Penang’s fifth Azlan Shah Cup and later on conducted elite events of FIH including World Cup (Kuala Lumpur 2002), Champions Trophy (Lahore 1998, 2004, Rotterdam 2001) plus 17th Commonwealth Games hockey event (Manchester 2002), fifth Asia Cup (Kuala Lumpur 1999), European Cup (Barcelona 2003), etc.

Rashad also acted as umpires manager and judge during Lahore’s 4-Nation 2005 event, Indo-Pak Series in 2006 and seventh Asia Cup at Chennai in 2007.—PPI