Campbell to officiate at Commonwealth Games

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's international netball umpire Sylvester Campbell has been chosen by the International Federation of Netball Association (IFNA) to officiate in this year's Commonwealth Games, which will be held in India from October 3-14.

Campbell, who received an International Umpires Association (IUA) award in 2005 from IFNA, will be making his second appearance at the Commonwealth Games.

"I am glad that I was appointed because I have never been there before and this is an experience that I am looking forward to," said Campbell in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday.

The 41-year-old Campbell created history at the last Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia, in 2006, by becoming the first male to officiate in the final.

He said that despite the many challenges faced by umpires on the international stage, he felt his experience helped him overcome the media and other critics.

"I am going to India to give of my best, but I am not able to say what the feedback will be like and the appointments will be like in terms of match allocation," he said.

Sky's the limit

"But I usually don't go to these Games wanting to do the big matches. Instead, I just want to be there to umpire," said Campbell.

He added: "The Commonwealth Games is usually a nice event. I like the ambience and the people who are running the competition and I just can't wait to get there and to umpire because the sky is the limit for me."

Campbell, who is the coach of the Jamaica Netball Association Open League beaten finalists, Tivoli Gardens 'A', is also a cadet on the International Testing Panel (ITP), which is responsible for the testing and training of international umpires.

Jamaica currently has a number of 'A' umpires - the top rank for local officials. But only Campbell, Dalton Hinds and Dave Brown can officiate in international matches because they are IUA-accredited officials.