This was Kumar’s first taste of International competition outside the Oceania region. And the 28 year old says the outing at the FIFA sanctioned event was a good learning experience for him.#He was part of the three member Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) referees panel to the 2010 Youth Olympics which included Tahitian referee Norbert Hauata and Kiwi Mark Rule#The Lautoka based referee officiated in two matches as an assistant referee with the highlight being the bronze medal playoffs between hosts Singapore and Montenegro.#“I can proudly say that this was a very successful outing for me. I have learned a lot and this will help me go a very long way in my career as a referee. This was a new experience for me officiating at a different stage and standard.#“I would like to thank Fiji Football Association and the Oceania Football Confederation for giving me this opportunity,” Kumar said.#The Lautoka referee says he was lucky enough to meet and greet FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.#“I had a chance to meet the FIFA President Mr. Blatter during an official dinner. I had not met him before it was good to finally come face to face with him,” he said.#Following his experience in Singapore, Kumar believes Fiji has the material to officiate at the highest levels.#“In my view after experiencing the Youth Olympics I think Fiji has the talent to officiate at major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup. We have the resources here and I believe everyone needs to work together to progress,” he said.
