Football fervor

He is the only Parsi soccer referee in India and the youngest Indian on the national panel of referees. Now 25, Shirzad Bhathena qualified for the national panel at the age of 24 which is, he says, a national record, the previous one being entry at the age of 28 years. He has already officiated in more than 1,000 matches at various levels since 1998 when he cleared the Class III exam of the Bombay Referees Association affiliated to the Western India Football Association, which is part of the All India Football Federation.

A design engineer working for the past two-and-a-half years in the MHE (material handling equipment) division of Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited at Vikhroli, Bhathena took to refereeing for the love of the sport. He laughingly says many of the players are older than him and initially that did cause a few problems in maintaining discipline on the field. "But that phase is gone now. People get to know your capabilities and respect automatically comes,” he says. Securing 94/100 at the national referees examination, the highest in India, in December 2001, Bhathena explains that anyone who is 18 years and above, with a minimum qualification of SSC (Secondary School Certificate) can appear and can move upwards with successive examinations from Class III to Class II, Class I and national level via assessments in theory, fitness, oral and match practicals.Fitness levels are tough with candidates required to run 2,700 meters (m) in 12 minutes, followed within the hour by a 50 m. run in 7.5 seconds twice and 200 m in 32 seconds twice. Even after confirmation, national level referees have to pass the fitness test before each tournament. Though he is younger than most, "other referees treat me very well,” he asserts. The upper age limit is 45 years.

Bhathena receiving felicitations and with fellow officials

It was while organizing a football tournament for his colony (Nowroz Baug) that Bhathena first came in close touch with refereeing which captured his fancy. Football is his favorite sport. As a student he liked to jog and swim but has never played soccer!

Bhathena has officiated in privately organized matches all over Bombay, including the All Parsi level, as well as at the Elite, Super, Senior I, II, III and IV divisions of the Bombay league. The All India Mayor’s Cup matches in Sangli in 2001, the semi finals and finals of the same tournament in 2002 in Kolhapur, the All India Inter Excise and the Mini Rovers Cup, which is an all India invitational tournament, are some of the major events for which he has donned referee’s garb. The Air India-Mahindra game in 2003, which was the final of the Bombay league, was a memorable match, recalls Bhathena. Refereeing such a clash is a thrilling achievement, he declares.

Selected referee of the year amongst Bombay referees in Class III, II and I in 1999, 2000 and 2001 respectively, Bhathena looks forward to being in the thick of things in Division II and I of all-India football, for which he has not yet officiated.